Something New
by Shahar Mystral
Summary: It started out as an apology, then it became two, then it became something else entirely. Yi Jeong & Ga Eul. Slight AU
1. Chapter 1 Good shoes, good places

**Chapter One **

**Good shoes, good places**

Ga Eul sighed tiredly as she bowed to the last customer as they left the congee shop. She momentarily eyed the dirty dishes on the table, before grasping the back of a nearby chair to steady herself as she lifted her foot up and partially eased off one of her shoes on her aching feet.

She winced as she felt some skin come off along with the back of the black pump. She should have known better than to wear new shoes at work before she had broken them in. But her old shoes had finally given up the ghost, and she had had no choice but to wear her new ones. She sucked in a quick breath as a wave of blessedly cool air brushed the burning blisters on her ankle.

The weary waitress closed her eyes and savoured the relief, as she carefully raised herself up onto her toes, exposing her other ankle to the cool air. She stood unmoving, for a few moments – her head bowed and her mind blissfully blank, balanced on one foot as the burning heat gradually dulled. The pain was just fading away completely when she heard the shop door open, signalling the arrival of yet another hungry customer. Looking at the polished shoes of the customer by the door, she let out a mental groan at the thought of putting the shoe back on.

Or at least she thought it was a mental groan.

"Not the usual reaction that I get from women in my presence." Came an all too familiar voice. "I can think of far more pleasurable sounds I'd rather hear."

Ga Eul snapped her head up, only to freeze as her eyes fell on the dashing form of So Yi Jeong, rendering her momentarily speeches. He tilted his head to the side, flashing her a lopsided smile. It was then that his words penetrated and outrage surfaced, causing her to blush.

"Sunbae, how dare you!" She hissed in a scandalised whisper, forgetting her pain as waves of embarrassment washed through her. "How could you could you say such nonsense? What if people heard you? What would they say about me?"

Yi Jeong smiled roguishly as he glanced around the deserted porridge shop. "There isn't anyone here to hear anything. And even if there was," he paused and his smile became positively devilish. "They would just say that you are one very lucky woman to catch someone like me."

"Oh please." Ga Eul scoffed, as she settled tentatively back into her killer pumps. "I'm looking for a soul mate, not a playboy. Now what do you want?" She asked rudely, not caring if she offended him or not. Her brusqueness was a defensive tactic and she knew it. Yi Jeong had left her speechless the first time he met her and even now, he could still make her feel flustered. So she did the only thing she could to keep him from knowing his power over her – she acted as if she could barely stand him. Or at least she tried to – sometimes she believed that he saw right through her act.

Yi Jeong sighed. "The usual. Jun Pyo sent me."

"Again?" Ga Eul said grimacing slightly. "What does he want me for now?

"He wants your advice on what gift to get for Jan Di."

"What's the occasion?"

"I have no idea." He replied, shrugging. "Guess he just wants to spoil her."

Ga Eul narrowed her brown eyes. "Why did he send you?"

"I owe him a favour." He reached for her hand. "Now come with me, we've got to go."

Ga Eul quickly snatched her hand away from him before he could touch her. It was bad enough trying to keep her cool when she was with the exceptionally good looking potter, but she knew that if he held her hand, she would not be able to stop the blushes that his presence inspired. And when she was trying to pretend that his charm didn't work on her, she knew that the blushes would give her away.

"What about my manager?" Ga Eul blurted out, stalling in a desperate attempt to come up with some way to avoid being in Yi Jeong's unsettling presence.

"What about him?" Yi Jeong asked nonplussed.

"I can't just leave him without staff to help him and Jan Di isn't here either. I'm the only one here to help him."

Yi Jeong chuckled. "We've got it sorted. Jun Pyo has arranged some replacements which your manager will no doubt approve of."

Yi Jeong waited for a response as he watched her cling to the back of a chair as though it were the only thing was keeping her up, and considering that she stood poised on her toes, he had no doubt that it was.

Ga Eul, however, simply stared resolutely at a point over his shoulder, refusing to make eye contact with him. Realising that she had no more arguments, he smiled and grasped her hand, and begun pulling her out of the shop.

However, as Yi Jeong pulled her towards the door, Ga Eul's shoes slid back onto her feet and rubbed against her blisters, causing a cry of pain to rise unbidden to her lips. She instinctively tightened her grip on both Yi Jeong's hand and the chair she had been clutching, effectively dragging the chair along as she stumbled into Yi Jeong.

"Are you okay?" Yi Jeong asked, grabbing her upper arms as he stabilised her.

"I'm fine." Ga Eul said through clenched teeth, pulling away from him. "I just stepped strangely when you pulled me."

"Don't worry." She said hurriedly when he began to bend down to look at her feet. "It's nothing. I'll be fine. Just let me go get my bag and tell my boss that I'm leaving before he thinks I was abducted by aliens or something crazy like that."

He studied her for a moment causing her to fidget slightly, before nodding and glancing at his watch impatiently.

Ga Eul walked briskly into the back room, refusing to limp in front of Yi Jeong. To do so would be to show weakness and she refused to appear weak in front of him for some odd reason. Her mother had always said she was too stubborn for her own good.

Hurriedly untying her apron, she tore up a serviette and stuffed it into the backs of her shoes to act as a sort of barrier between her tender skin and the wretched shoe. Slinging her handbag over her shoulder, she stuck her head into the kitchen and said. "I've get to go. Sorry, it's the F4 again, but they are sending you replacements."

She couldn't help but frown worriedly, when the manager smiled broadly and started doing a very funky dance, waving of his arms to the ceiling, chanting "Andromeda. Andromeda."

Shaking her head worriedly, Ga Eul headed back to the front of the shop, torn between reluctance to be with the man who made her heart do strange things and a sort of gasping relief to get away from her crazy boss.

Yi Jeong turned from where he had been staring out of the window, and smiled as she returned, sending unwanted shivers down her spine.

"Come on, let's go." He said as he grabbed her hand once again.

"I won't run away, you know." She said, trying to pull her hand out of his.

"I know." Was his simple reply as he led her from the store. "But you have an adorable blush that I can't help wanting to prolong."

"My blush?" Ga Eul squeaked, horrified that he knew he had an effect on her.

He chuckled as he headed to his car, her hand still in his, and Ga Eul secretly relishing the warmth against her palm.

* * *

Three mind-warping hours later, Ga Eul sighed gratefully as she slid into the passenger seat of Yi Jeong's orange Lotus. Shopping with the rich elite had been an exhilarating experience. She still struggled to contemplate the fact that they had closed down an entire shopping centre, for just five people. Four people really, if she cared to think about it. She had no doubt that she would not get such treatment if she went there without the influence of the F4.

She shook her head somewhat dazedly. "These people live in a completely different world." She murmured, as Yi Jeong settled in the driver's seat, placing a shopping bag in her foot well.

"Different world?" He repeated, having only caught the end of her sentence.

"Is it always like that?" She asked bluntly as the car started with a soft purr.

"Is what always like that?"

"Shopping." She said exasperatedly. "The un-crowded stores? The bowing and scraping? The _special _treatment? Is it always like that for you?"

Yi Jeong was quiet for a moment as he steered them into traffic. "When we go out shopping – yes, it's always like this. But if I know what I'm looking for, I can usually get it delivered to my house by the store itself."

"Wow." Ga Eul whispered, as she stared numbly out the windscreen.

Silence descended upon the two, each caught up in their own thoughts, before Yi Jeong interrupted Ga Eul's musings. "How are your feet?"

"Killing me." She answered without thinking.

"You should have said something."

"I didn't want…" Ga Eul paused before turning slowly to look at him. "How did you know? I didn't say anything."

He threw her a smile before focusing on the road again. "I saw the tissues sticking out of your pumps, and you started limping about an hour ago."

"Oh. I was hoping you wouldn't notice." Ga Eul said in a small voice. "This is all Sunbae's fault anyway." She stated abruptly and somewhat defensively.

"What?" He asked stunned by her accusation. "How do you justify this as my fault?"

"It's because you were the one who dragged me around a shopping centre for three hours."

"Actually," Yi Jeong corrected. "Jun Pyo was the one who dragged you around. In fact I'm pretty sure that Woo Bin and I just followed the two of you around." He paused, glancing over at her. "And I'm not the one who choose to wear the wrong pair of shoes."

Ga Eul pouted. "They aren't the wrong pair of shoes. They're just new and I haven't worn them in yet. They will be fine once they have softened up a bit." She shifted slightly in her seat, as she turned to look at him. "But I'm still going to blame you for this." She waved a finger at him when he opened his mouth to retort. "You, So Yi Jeong, were the one who took me away from my work and into Jun Pyo Sunbae's clutches, so I am going to demand retribution for your part that you played in this."

Ga Eul smiled evilly to herself, pleased to have gotten one over the "Smooth Yi Jeong".

He sighed regretfully after a long moment of thoughtful silence. "Okay. How much do you want?" Yi Jeong couldn't keep the slight grimace from his face. He had always believed that despite her naivety and gullibility that she wasn't like typical commoners who were always out for every Won they could put their grubby hands on, but perhaps he had been mistaken after all.

Ga Eul reared back in the seat with a horrified look on her face. "I don't want your money!"

"You don't?" He asked slowly, re-evaluating his opinion of her once again. "Why not?"

Still looking at him strangely, she replied, "'Cause taking your money is hardly punishment. Besides you have so much already, you probably won't notice anything I could ask for." She shook her head. "No. What I want is your presence, for one evening. You can choose the day, as long as it doesn't interfere with my work again."

"Why thank you for thinking of me." He replied dryly, pulling to a stop at a red light. Suddenly he was leaning towards her, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "And what exactly do you want to do with me?"

His proximity combined with the seductive smile and suggestive quality in his voice, temporarily wiped Ga Eul's mind blank, only to be replaced with thoughts of his warm lips on hers and her hands in his dark hair. Her heart raced and Ga Eul felt her face heat up as the blood rushed to her face.

The light turned green and Yi Jeong pulled away, breaking the spell that he cast on her. "Hmm what on earth were you thinking to cause such a fetching blush?" He chuckled. "Maybe one day, I should ask and we could try it out."

Gathering a hold of her errant thoughts, Ga Eul glared at him, her face darkening. "I'm not blushing. My face is red because I'm angry that you're trying your silly charmer's tricks on me again. I've told you before that they don't work on me."

Despite her harsh words, Yi Jeong's cocky smirk remained.

"Fine." She said folding her arms across her chest. "Believe what you will. But for trying your tricks on me, you don't get to choose the day of my revenge anymore. This Friday, I have the evening shift off. Meet me at the congee shop at five o'clock."

"This had better not be a date." He stated flatly. "I don't go for women like you."

"Don't worry." She snapped back. "I don't go for playboys like you anyway."

"Yes of course. How could I forget? You're waiting for your soul mate." He said snidely. Yi Jeong usually wasn't so unpleasant to women, but her naïve belief in soul mates annoyed him to no end.

"I'm not asking you to believe in soulmates."

"Good." He laughed bitterly. "It's just some foolish belief to make people feel better with their lot in life anyway." He shook his head disbelievingly. "As if their miserable lives will be better with someone to share it with. They will probably make it worse."

Yi Jeong drove Ga Eul home with an uncomfortable silence, that his bitter words had created, hanging heavily between them. She refused to look at him, and in fact stared out the window the entire way.

Turning off the car, Yi Jeong grabbed hold of Ga Eul's arm, just as she reached for the door handle.

"Wait." He half ordered, half pleaded. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I can't let myself believe in things like soul mates, but I should not have said what I said anyway." He swallowed heavily. "I apologise for saying such things to you. I had no right."

Ga Eul stared at him intently, looking for the truth behind his words, before nodding slowly. "I forgive you, Sunbae. We all say things that we wish we hadn't." She reached for the car door. "Thank you for taking me home, Sunbae."

Yi Jeong silently watched her climb out of the car, impressed by her willingness to forgive him so easily.

She took half a step away from the car, only to stumble as her shoes once more assaulted her blisters. The sound of her anguished cry had just reached his ears, and seconds later, he was out of the car and rushing to her side.

"Sunbae, I'm fine." She said as he reached her. "I'd just forgotten about my sore feet."

Nevertheless, he opened the car door and gently pushed her back to the passenger seat. "Just sit down for a moment."

"Really Sunbae," Ga Eul said exasperatedly. "I just need to get inside and take off these shoes. I can manage the last few steps."

"Just hold on." He said reaching down into the front passenger foot well for the bag that he had placed there earlier. "I actually meant to give these to you earlier but I forgot…" He thrust the bag at her awkwardly.

Reaching up, Ga Eul cautiously took the shopping bag from Yi Jeong. Reaching inside, she pulled out a pair of dainty blue high heels from underneath the silver tissue paper. She looked up at him with a rather stunned expression on her face. "When did you buy these?" She asked quietly.

"When I first noticed your limp." He smiled nervously. "I kept waiting for you to complain so I could give them to you." His eyes narrowed slightly. "But you were too stubborn to do even that."

"Thank you." She said sincerely, her smile lighting up her face.

Yi Jeong could have sworn that he felt his heart skip a beat when she had smiled up at him. As it was his breath caught in his throat. Thankfully she looked away and began putting on the shoes, giving him some much needed time to regain his cool. Staring over the roof of his car, he wondered just when he had become so bored with his life, that such a simple, straightforward girl could catch his attention so completely. Maybe it was her lack of sophistication and honesty, which she hid so poorly, that drew him to her. She was completely different women to the ones that he usually dallied with and could be discarded so easily.

Breathing deeply, he looked down in time to watch Ga Eul tie the ribbon-like bow around her ankle. An act, which for all its simplicity was one of the most provocative actions he had ever witnessed.

She rose carefully, sighing gratefully, as the soft satin of the strap-like ribbon caressed her ankles. "That's much better. You won't believe how amazing that feels." She bent down and picked up her pumps and purse. "Thanks again."

Clearing his throat, Yi Jeong nodded to the direction of her apartment block. "Let me escort you home properly."

"You don't have to." She said hastily, flustered by the intimacy that such an act suggested.

"I know I don't have to, but I want to." The potter said in a tone that allowed no argument.

Neither of them said anything as they walked to the entrance to the apartment block.

Fishing her key out of her bag, Ga Eul unlocked the door before turning and bowing to him. "Thank you for taking me home and giving me the shoes, Sunbae."

"You're welcome." He said formally as he stepped back from the door. He paused and smiled brightly. "Oh and Ga Eul," he called, causing her to halt in closing the door. "I'll see you on Friday, at five for your revenge. Don't disappoint me."

With a last dashing smile, he strode towards his car, leaving a very confused and breathless Ga Eul behind.


	2. Chapter 2 Welcome to Reality

**Chapter Two – Welcome to Reality**

"_Yo yo yo my man_." Woo Bin semi-rapped in English as he flung his arm around Yi Jeong's neck. "Are you ready to party it up tonight?"

"Sorry not tonight." Yi Jeong replied, smiling at the inanity of his statement. He sounded like one of those boring wives trying to avoid her husband's advances. "I've already got plans for this evening."

"You're meeting a girl?"

The potter gave his friend a look that clearly said 'That was a stupid question. Who else would I be meeting?'

Woo Bin just laughed as he made his way to the F4's pool table. "I'm just messing with ya. Enjoy your date."

"It's not a date." Yi Jeong clarified immediately, bringing Woo Bin to a halt as he reached for the triangle on the pool table.

The gangster prince frowned as he studied his friend. "If it's not a date, is it a business thing then?"

He shuffled awkwardly. "It's actually a punishment."

"A punishment?" Woo Bin repeated as he racked up the balls on the green felt.

Yi Jeong nodded once as he sauntered over to the pool table.

"Are you that bored with_ it_ that you have gotten into S&M?" Woo Bin said, his eyes widening, and looking rather concerned for his friend. "Damn." He moaned. "I wish you hadn't told me, I feel mentally scarred now. Bad mental images I tell ya."

Yi Jeong laugh had a horrified edge to it as he hastily corrected his friend. "It's not S&M. I'm not that far gone my friend." He waved his hands in the air as though trying to brush the notion aside. "In fact it's nothing like that at all. You can erase all those nasty ideas from your skull." He picked up a cue and broke the racked balls, sending them across the table, and knocking one into a socket. "I owe a woman an apology and spending time with her is how I have to make up for it."

Woo Bin gave a low whistle, distracting Yi Jeong and causing him to fumble his shot. "You're apologising? That's new." He took his shot at the table, also sinking a ball. "That seems even less like you, than S&M does."

"S&M?" Came Jun Pyo's questioning voice as he and Ji Hoo arrived. "What's that?"

Woo Bin and Yi Jeong exchanged a horrified look.

'No way.' Yi Jeong mouthed, looking at Woo Bin. "I'm not explaining it.'

Woo Bin scowled fiercely, which Yi Jeong shrugged off. The gangster narrowed his eyes in response, but accepted it. Yi Jeong was one of the few people who saw beyond the gangster façade and did not treat him as a friend out of fear.

Shaking his head, he addressed Jun Pyo, smirking slightly. "Sorry Jun Pyo, but we can't tell about you such things. It's not something that can be heard by virgins. Ask us this question again when you've had more experience."

"Aish, you can't be serious." Jun Pyo whined when the two pool players burst out laughing at his expression. Even Ji Hoo smiled broadly as he made his way to the stereo.

"So who are you apologising to?" Woo Bin asked turning back to Yi Jeong as music filled the air.

"Do you remember Jan Di's friend that we took with us to Caledonia?"

"What about Jan Di?" Jun Pyo interrupted, managing to look rather menacing due to the darts that he held in his hand.

"Nothing." The two pool players said at the same time.

"So why are you talking about her then?" Jun Pyo said threateningly.

"We aren't." Woo Bin replied slowly. "Yi Jeong was just telling me that he has to apologise to her friend." He turned to Yi Jeong, before casually asking. "What's her name again?"

"It's Ga Eul." The potter supplied, casually leaning against the pool table, obviously trying to look relaxed and unconcerned.

"Ah yes. I remember her." Jun Pyo said turning back to the dart board. "She is the one you stare at when you think no one's watching."

"I do not." Yi Jeong said, defensively.

"No, you do." Woo Bin stated simply, as he lined up his shot. "I've noticed it too."

Closing his eyes tightly, Yi Jeong turned to Ji Hoo who was sitting in the corner, cutting a deck of tarot cards. "Have you noticed it too?"

Ji Hoo nodded, smiling faintly. "Your eyes follow her every move and you get this far away look every time her name is mentioned."

The potter pinched the bridge of his nose, as he realised exactly how obvious he must have been if even the most socially awkward member of the F4 had noticed him staring at Jan Di's friend.

"You've got it bad for this girl. Just admit it. You need to get her out of your system." Woo Bin said poking his friend with his cue. He nodded at the table. "It's your turn man."

"Maybe I do." Yi Jeong said, sinking a ball. "But..."

"But nothing." Jun Pyo interrupted yet again. "If you like a girl, you go after her. It's as simple as that."

"I don't know." Yi Jeong said uncertainly, reluctant to take advice from Jun Pyo who's romance with Jan Di could not be labelled as anything other than 'Complicated'. "She doesn't play the game that I play. She's different from the women that I usually go for."

"Well different is probably a good thing." Woo Bin said matter-of-factly. "It just means that she won't bore you as quickly as the others do. Maybe she will last longer than a week."

His last words struck a chord in Yi Jeong. Ga Eul did have the potential to last longer than a week. The idea of spending time with her and finding out what made her so different from other woman appealed to him. However there was something in her that drew him to despite the impulse to avoid letting things go too far.

"I don't know what you are fussing about." Woo Bin continued. "It doesn't matter if she is different anyway. When it comes down to it, we both know we won't get to choose our brides anyway." He shrugged helplessly. "I say that you should get a taste of another side of life, while you can still can."

"Maybe I will." The potter said, sinking the black ball and winning the game. "I'll see how this evening goes. Who knows, she might relieve the boredom in the same way that Jan Di has."

Nervously, Ga Eul glanced at the clock behind the counter, her stomach knotting painfully in reluctant anticipation. She still had twenty minutes before her shift ended, and as time passed by she was gradually becoming more and more flustered.

As much as she told herself that this evening was _not_ a date with Yi Jeong, she couldn't help but feel that perhaps it was to a tiny degree. After all what she had planned could be considered romantic by some people, but to Ga Eul it was her best chance of getting some sort of revenge on the potter.

Shaking her head, Ga Eul collected three bowls of seafood porridge and served them to her customers. '_No,_' she thought furiously to herself, as she moved to helped Jan Di clear a table. '_It's not a date. I told Sunbae that as well._' Shoulders slumping, she realised that her evening with Yi Jeong stood no chance of becoming a date anyway, since he clearly did not want it to be one.

'_That's probably for the best._' Ga Eul thought as she recalled her earlier discussion with Jan Di as to why she would only get hurt if she got involved with a playboy, who, according to Jan Di would woo her and break her heart.

Gripped with a steeling determination to control her errant thoughts and stay realistic, Ga Eul managed to focus on the tasks at hand – namely looking after customers. Usually this was an easy feat, but this evening she was pushed to the limits by a table of college students who were all unashamedly flirting with her whenever she approached their table to serve them.

As a result it came as a relief when, at exactly five o'clock, Yi Jeong entered the shop. She sent him a grateful and excited smile and hurried over to him. "I'll be with you now, just let me go get my things and set up my tables with Jan Di."

Yi Jeong watched her disappear into the back, his greeting unspoken. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he looked around the restaurant taking in the full tables and the snippets of conversation that wafted through the store.

Shortly after Ga Eul had disappeared into the kitchens, Jan Di emerged carrying a bowl of porridge on a tray. "Good evening Sunbae." She said politely once she had given the porridge to her customer.

"Good evening, Geum Jan Di." He replied smoothly, turning in her direction.

Her smile disappearing, Jan Di stalked up to him and whispered through clenched teeth. "You had better look after my friend, Sunbae. She is not someone to toy with. Don't try any of your playboy nonsense on her. Or you will have to deal with me!" She shook her fist threateningly at him. Her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed as she eyed him with her head tilted back. "Ga Eul told me that it's not a date and I expect you to keep your hands to yourself. Do you hear me, Sunbae?" She finished, glaring intensely at him

"I hear you loud and clear, Jan Di." He replied hiding his smile as he pretended to be intimidated.

"Good." She said firmly before marching over to a beckoning customer.

Shaking his head at the commoner who had disrupted the calm (and uneventful) lives of the famous F4, Yi Jeong impatiently took a step closer to the door, and inadvertently to the table of college students.

A round of obnoxious laughter interrupted his musings about the strange effects that commoners seemed to have on rich people. Automatically his ears tuned into their conversation.

"So are you going to ask the waitress for her number?" One of the college students asked his friend.

Yi Jeong smiled, momentarily imagining Jun Pyo's anger if he ever found out that Jan Di's customers found her attractive.

"I don't know. Where is she?" His friend replied anxiously looking round the restaurant.

"She went into the back." Came a third voice from the table. "If you can't keep track of a potential hook-up, then maybe I should be the one to get first dibs with her."

The potter glanced around the store, wondering where Jan Di had gone. However Jan Di was still out front, reciting orders to another table. This meant that the college students had obviously been talking about Ga Eul.

Yi Jeong felt a mix of emotions surge through him, including an irrational anger followed by an intense feeling of possessiveness towards Ga Eul. This combined with Woo Bin's suggestion that he take the chance to get a taste of the other side of life settled his raging thoughts into cocky determination.

As Ga Eul returned, she sent him one of her long looks that always said more than words could express. He watched her make her way to Jan Di, hug her good-bye and pause to say something in response to some whispered warning from Jan Di.

It was at that moment that one of the college students stood up, slicking back his hair and straightening his clothing as he did so. He stepped out from the table, only to be cut off as Yi Jeong stepped in front of him, preventing him from reaching Ga Eul.

"I want to collect the greeting I didn't get 'cause you were busy." He said loudly as he pulled Ga Eul into his arms. She blinked up at him, shocked by his actions. Putting his mouth by her ear, he whispered, "Just go with it."

He had the pleasure of feeling her shiver in response to his breath on her ear, as he swooped in for a kiss before she was completely aware of what was happening. For the first few seconds, Ga Eul stood as stiff as a board, completely unresponsive in his arms. Gently he pulled back, and instead of only holding his lips to hers, he softly brushed his lips over hers. Her response was instantaneous. She softened against him, her arms moving to clutch his as her body turned molten.

They broke apart as Jan Di's screech of "Sunbae!" filled the air. Reluctant to break the contact, and slightly convinced that Ga Eul would collapse if he let go, Yi Jeong left his arms around her and addressed Jan Di without looking at her. "What do you want Geum Jan Di?"

"You said you wouldn't…" she began, before Yi Jeong cut her off before she ruined the purpose of this little exhibition.

"Jan Di," He said firmly. "Your friend is in good hands and I suggest you just leave it alone."  
Miraculously, Jan Di fell silent.

Taking advantage of her silence, Yi Jeong hurriedly led Ga Eul from the shop, slowing briefly to give the college students a withering glare that said 'In case you missed that scene, this woman is mine.'

The door of the congee shop had just swung closed behind them, when Ga Eul finally spoke up. "Sunbae," she croaked breathlessly. She cleared her throat quietly and tried again. "What was that for?"

Hearing the breathlessness in her voice, Yi Jeong smiled as he decided that he liked it. It would be enjoyable trying to make it possible to hear it again.

"Why did you…" Ga Eul trailed off blushing brightly when he failed to reply.

"Why did I kiss you?" He finished, smirking at her innocence.

Not trusting her voice, and blushing even redder, Ga Eul nodded.

"That table by the door was talking about you, and I didn't like what they were saying." He smirked, pleased with himself. "I don't think that they will try anything in the future, thanks to that little show that we put on. I don't think I could have done it without you."

She snorted at his last words, causing him to glance down at her. "Well duh. It would have been interesting watching you try and kiss yourself." She giggled at the thought.

"Oh you know what I meant." He said gruffly as embarrassment washed over him. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm grateful that you went with it and didn't push me away. You're a brilliant actress. You responded magnificently."

Ga Eul froze, horrified and terribly hurt by his words. The kiss that he had sprung on her, in front of everyone no less, had been incredibly sweet, as well as her first kiss. She had responded instinctually to it and now he had decided to demean it by pretending that she had been acting.

If she had been smooth and sophisticated, she would have smiled and pretended to agree with Yi Jeong.

However Ga Eul was neither of these things and sometimes, her friendship with Jan Di influenced her to do things that she normally would not do.

"I can't believe that you said that." She cried, just before slapping his face. Her anger raging, she watched him raise a hand to his cheek, pleased that she had left a mark.

"What the hell was that for?" He demanded dismayed.

"Let me tell you something So Yi Jeong." Ga Eul said, pain and anger evident in her voice. "That was my first kiss, and while I doubt that it means much to you, it did mean something to me. I won't ask you to cherish it," she spat, "but I won't let you disrespect it the way that you did either. I am not one of those loose women who you usually cavort with. Before I met you I used to think that I had standards. Now I'm not so sure."

With those last words, Ga Eul turned and walked away from him.

Yi Jeong stood stunned as he watched Ga Eul fade away into the crowd. Her parting words churned in his head, as the implications settled into place.

'_My first kiss._' He should have realised that the touch of hesitancy when she first started kissing him back had been her innocence showing through, not her reluctance of kissing in public. But he had been so caught up in his own powerful and unexpected reaction to her tentative kiss that he had simply brushed the notion aside. After all, surely at her age shouldn't she have been kissed before? Hadn't she had a boyfriend, even if he had been an asshole? He must have been a complete failure as a man, to have not kissed her, Yi Jeong decided ruthlessly.

'_I doubt that it means much to you._' It meant more to him than she could realise. If anything it terrified and excited him. Involving himself with Ga Eul would be a completely new experience for him just because she was new to the intimacies that he usually enjoyed with more experienced women. She had hit the hammer on the head when she had said that he spent time with easy women who were usually more experienced. In his opinion it made ending relationships less messy, since everyone involved knew that it was not anything serious. However it also made things boring. Ga Eul might be the one to add a little excitement to a dull and predictable life. She would be something new.

'_I won't ask you to cherish it._' Well he wasn't sure if he could but it would be nice to. First kisses were supposed to be important. Hell, now that he thought about it he wasn't even sure if he could remember his first kiss – it had been too long ago, with too many women in between. The idea of experiencing someone's firsts with them brought a faint smile to lips. If he was going to get a taste of the other side of life he may as well do it as completely as possible. What better contrast to experience than innocence?

It was only then that he realised just how harsh his words would have seemed to an innocent like her. He cursed at his stupidity. What had happened to all his charm and skills when it came to women?

Hurrying after her, he felt the urge to punch something, ideally something that would punch him back for his thoughtlessness. He pushed his way through the crowds, hoping that she hadn't gotten too far.

He finally found her at an intersection, waiting for the lights to change so she could cross the busy road .Knowing that he would not be able to apologise for what he had done, (not that a Casanova ever apologised for kissing a girl), he fell into step with her.

"Go away." She said coldly when she noticed him standing next to her.

"I can't." He replied simply. "I still have a punishment to fulfil."

Ga Eul blinked up at him, the implication of his words slowly dawning on her. He was trying to apologise in his own pig-headed way. Smiling to herself, she nodded, accepting his apology. "You should have left when you had the chance. I'm not going to let you get away now."

18


	3. Chapter 3 The Same World?

**Author's Note:** For the first time ever I am in an unique position of having more alerts on my story than reviews so I am assuming here that you all like this story. Thank you to everyone who is enjoying this fic at the moment, and special thanks to everyone who reviewed and gave me the confidence to continue.

**Chapter Three – The Same World?**

"Well this seems vaguely familiar." Came Yi Jeong's amused voice from behind the change room curtains. "I'm rather curious as to what the end result will look like."

Ga Eul rolled her eyes at his antics as she plucked at a fold in his jacket, straightening it out before it creased. "There should be a mirror in the change room, just take a look while you're in there."

'_That's not really what I was referring to._' Yi Jeong thought disappointedly. He had, in fact, been wondering what Ga Eul would think of him dressed in more casual clothing. Would she find it as stunning as his designer suits? He certainly hoped so, or he would demand to wear his Armani suit regardless of what she said. He sighed slightly as he pulled on the white t-shirt over the dark jeans that Ga Eul had insisted he buy before they started his punishment. A punishment which had turned out to being a shopping experience – commoner's style. In order to ensure that they could shop like "normal" people, Ga Eul had insisted on a wardrobe change for the F4's master potter. She had not wanted him to be recognised and then receive special treatment, thereby ruining her punishment.

Ga Eul fidgeted as she waited for Yi Jeong to finish trying on the clothing she had picked out for him. A bout of nerves threatened to overwhelm her, as she wondered whether he would like the clothes or not. Having only ever seen him in designer suits and formal clothing she had no idea what style would suit him for a more casual look. While finding him new clothes seemed entirely necessary for her punishment plans, she couldn't help but feel that was perhaps a little too intimate for people whose relationship seemed to be that of a strained friendship.

Forcing her doubts and insecurities aside, she tried to calm herself by focusing on the feel of his jacket in her arms. She marvelled at it softness, certain that she owned nothing even remotely as soft as his jacket. It smelt of him, she realised as she shifted it in her arms. Raising it to her nose, she inhaled deeply, loving the smell of his intoxicating cologne that he wore. As the scent wrapped around her, every muscle in her body tensed delightfully as an image of being held in his arms filled her mind.

"Ga Eul-yang," he called startling her from her fantasies. She jerked the jacket away from her face, horrified that he had caught her sniffing his clothing.

Except he hadn't. A blush stained her cheeks when she realised that he was still in the change room. "This shirt is too small." He called out. "Can you get me the next size up?"

"Just a moment Sunbae," Ga Eul called back as she guiltily folded his jacket back over her arms. Hurrying away like a naughty child, she berated herself for being foolish. She should know better than to indulge in such pointless fantasies. Every time she thought she was making some headway with him, she would mistake an act of kindness or pity for caring and he would, in no uncertain terms, remind her that she was reading too much into his actions. After all he had already made it quite clear that the kiss that they had shared earlier had been an act and nothing more would come of it. Yi Jeong's unintentional cruelty was almost as hurtful as his intentional cruelty.

Even now, she knew that spending time with her was Yi Jeong's attempt at an apology. It could be nothing more than that. Try as she might she could not stop the painful longing that filled her as she wished that there was something more between them.

These emotions were quickly squelched as she reached the men's clothing section. She knew from experience that the playboy was just messing around with her. It had been that way ever since they had first met. He had barely known her and he had tried to charm her. She had realised then that it was an automatic response designed to help him get what he wanted, but somewhere along the lines she had forgotten that. Somewhere, somehow, his charm had started seeping through and she had started reading things into his actions. And try as she might, it was difficult to keep her heart from singing whenever he came near.

Flicking through hangers, Ga Eul quickly found the next size up of the shirt she had selected for Yi Jeong. She stared at the detailed black and red fire design that covered the front of the shirt, confident that he would be able to pull off such a style. She smiled in anticipation of finally seeing him in something besides his daunting suits which only served to remind her how different their backgrounds were.

Her smile fell momentarily, as she stared at the flames printed on the shirt. She knew she was playing with fire, by spending time with the F4's legendary Casanova, but like a moth she was helplessly drawn to the flames that he ignited in her. Even though she knew she stood a high chance of being burned when he threw her feelings back in her face, like he had done so many times before, she couldn't help but hope that this time might be different.

"Sunbae," she tentatively called out as she returned to the change rooms with the larger shirt. "I found the shirt for you."

"Thanks." He called back, slightly muffled by the curtains between them. "Just bring it in please."

Taking a deep breath and praying that her earlier blushes had disappeared, she pulled back the curtain separating them and stepped into the small change room. And froze.

The unexpected sight before her shocked her and sent a blush rushing to her face. Idly she wondered if she would ever stop blushing around him as her eyes drank in the sheer masculine sight that stood before her. Her dark eyes widened, taking in the low slung jeans, the flat and toned stomach, the bare chest, and incredibly seductive grin.

Yi Jeong was handsome, but like this he was breathtakingly so.

"Like what you see?" Yi Jeong said huskily, pulling the curtains closed before resting his hand on the wall by her head, effectively trapping her in the small room with him. He had seen the spark of female appreciation flash in her eyes and was interested to what she would do next. If she was like one of the women that he usually spent time with, she would wet her lips and reach out for him. However a small, unconscious part of him hoped that Ga Eul would react differently.

Ga Eul swallowed nervously, as she realised that he had just cut them off from everyone else. She was effectively alone in a room with a half-naked heartthrob. Her legs threatened to buckle as Yi Jeong slowly leaned in towards her. The air between them seemed to thicken, making it difficult to breathe as a spark of desire leapt between them. His gaze slid down slightly and she knew that he was staring at her lips. Self-conscious, Ga Eul fought the urge to lick them. It was at that very moment, when she wished to reach out and touch him and pull his lips to hers that her instincts of self-preservation kicked in. She would not let him toy with her again today! Thrusting the shirt at him, Ga Eul ducked underneath his out-stretched arm, and fled from the change room.

Feeling flustered by the conflicting feelings that he managed to create within her, Ga Eul stalked to the far end of the store, shaking slightly from the intense emotions that swirled within her. Silently she cursed Yi Jeong for making her want him, despite knowing that he was toying with her. It was criminal for one man to have so much sex appeal, and to know how to use it. Taking a few deep breaths and resolutely not thinking about what she had just seen, she managed to compose herself and returned to the change room to wait for Yi Jeong.

She didn't have to wait long for him to emerge. Ga Eul gasped in surprised pleasure, when Yi Jeong drew the curtains aside and stepped out. If she had thought he was handsome in a suit, she refused to think of him shirtless, she was blown away by him in a pair of jeans and t-shirt, with his hair slightly mussed from getting changed. He looked positively striking, and somehow, a lot more touchable. More approachable. It was less daunting to see him dressed like this, and somehow because in the change in style, he looked sexier for it.

Best of all he did not look like the famous F4 potter. While there could be no doubt that he was still good looking, he did not stand out as much as he did before. She had seen the stir that he generated, heard the screams of desperate women and had no desire to repeat the experience again. Instead he looked like he belonged in the less prosperous parts of Seoul that she called home. She was certain that they would not be noticed and tittered at by people on the street.

Remembering, how he had responded when he had arranged her own dramatic transformation, she folded her arms and pretended to judge what she already thought was a magnificent success.

Rolling his eyes at her antics, Yi Jeong smirked confident that she approved. He had heard her delighted gasp when he had left the change room. "Well?" He prompted. "Do I pass?"

Giggling, Ga Eul smiled brightly and gave him two thumbs up. "Whoever dressed you sure had good taste."

Yi Jeong smiled brightly at Ga Eul's positive reaction to his change in appearance, before beckoning a sales man over to him. "I'll take them." He said gesturing to his new clothes, expecting the man to make it possible for him to walk out in the clothes he had on.

He smiled brightly at Ga Eul as the sales man hurriedly cut off the tags from the clothing he had on. "Now that we are ready, let the punishment begin." He declared confident that he would be able to handle any form of punishment that she could throw at him.

…

Two hours later, Yi Jeong had decided that commoners were a tougher lot than he had ever given them credit for. He had shopped before but what he had experienced this evening could only be described as hell. The shopping centre that they had entered had resembled nothing short a riot waiting to happen. As far as he was concerned, everyone in Seoul was crammed into the centre, trying to make the best of the bargains that the store professed to be offering. Leaning against the checkout counter, he thanked his lucky stars that he had been born into a family of means, just because it meant that he could abuse his privilege and shop in peace.

Glancing over at his tormentor, he felt nothing but respect for her for being capable of handling such torture with confidence and dignity. Ga Eul was calmly paying for the goods that they had selected and in some cases fought for, as though this hellish experience had been a breeze.

Feeling his gaze, Ga Eul turned and met Yi Jeong's appraising eyes, smiling broadly at him. She was exceptionally proud of him for bearing with her punishment so well. After the first hour of shopping, his expression had turned sullen and he had started slouching round the store, with his hands in his pockets. But he hadn't complained once, which had surprised her. Men, she knew from experience, turned into pathetic whinny messes when they went shopping. While she could tell that he had definitely not enjoyed the experience (which had been the entire point), he had not tried to persuade her to allow him to clear the store.

"Why don't you go wait outside?" Ga Eul said, finally taking pity on him. She could see the tightness around his mouth and dark eyes indicating he had suffered enough at her hands. "There should be a waiting area near the door. I've just got one more thing to get for my mom. I won't be long."

Before Yi Jeong could protest, not that he wanted to anyway, Ga Eul handed him the trolley of purchased goods and disappeared, leaving him to navigate the horde of people swarming the store by himself.

Thankfully the exit wasn't far and once outside Yi Jeong was able to find a bench to collapse on. Nodding a polite greeting to the old man at the end of the bench, he glanced around, taking in the other men who, like him, appeared to be recovering from a shopping experience form hell.

"Is your girlfriend still inside?" The man next to Yi Jeong said, when he sighed gustily as he took pressure off his aching feet.

Nodding because it was simpler than explaining what Ga Eul meant to him, he said, "I don't know she does it. It was madness inside there."

The old man chuckled. "Women are a breed of their own, son. As men we can't be expected to keep up with them. Thankfully they know that and are gracious enough to give us a reprieve." He gestured to all the men waiting outside. "They can sense when we've had enough and will usually give us a break when we need it."

Yi Jeong frowned as he processed this new revelation. He clearly had not been hiding his discomfort as well as he thought if Ga Eul had realised that he was struggling to keep up with her. He had just started to wonder what he had done that had given him away, when his phone started ringing.

A quick glance at the screen told him that Woo Bin was calling. Knowing that his friend would no doubt be phoning to find out the details of his punishment, Yi Jeong sighed before answering the phone. "Hello."

"Yo. How's the punishment going, bro?" Woo Bin said, laughter evident in his voice. "You still alive?"

"Barely. It's been hell."

"Seriously? Was it that bad? What did she do?"

"She took me shopping." Was Yi Jeong's clipped reply.

"Oh that's not too bad." Woo Bin said unsympathetically. "Kinda disappointing though. I was hoping you would have had some story of some kinky punishment. After seeing some women fight over you, I figured she would have taken the chance to get her claws on you, if you know what I mean."

Yi Jeong squirmed uncomfortably at the sudden image that Woo Bin had created in his head. Images of Ga Eul digging her nails into his naked back in a moment of passion filled his mind. Shocked by the suddenness and intensity of the vision which he had never really considered the possibility of, he completely missed Woo Bin's next question.

"What was that?" He managed to choke out, still caught up in his wicked imaginings.

"I asked you what happened to make you say that you're barely surviving?'

Leaping onto the alternative topic in order to drive out the pleasant but unwelcome fantasy, Yi Jeong declared dramatically to his friend. "I nearly died! F4 nearly became F3."

"What happened?"

"Well I was just standing in an aisle, waiting for Ga Eul to get something off the shelf, when this mad woman came up behind me and rammed me with her trolley. It is one of the most painful things I have ever experienced in my entire life." Yi Jeong said seriously. "I swear she tried to cut me down, starting with my ankles. And the wretched woman didn't even apologise."

Woo Bin chuckled sympathetically. "Did you keep your cool at least?"

"I did. It was a close thing though."

"Well that's a relief." Woo Bin said earnestly. "It would have been embarrassing if she had seen you freak out, although," he said thoughtfully; "if you could have squeezed some sympathetic care out of her, maybe you should have done it."

"I don't know if she would have. I think she might have laughed at me if she had seen it." He paused as Woo Bin's laughter echoed through the phone. "Ah, I've got to go." Yi Jeong said spotting Ga Eul heading towards him with another shopping bag in her hand. "I'll see you at the shooting range tomorrow."

Snapping his phone shut, he stood up and shoved his phone into his denim pockets. As Ga Eul reached him, he took her package from her and placed it in the trolley. "All done?" He asked hopefully.

Grinning at the eagerness in his voice, Ga Eul nodded, satisfied that he had suffered enough at her hands. She had spent the better half of two hours watching Yi Jeong put up with the agony of shopping as a normal person. He had been accosted by salesmen trying desperately to sell him rice crackers and bags of prawns. Ga Eul had been forced to rescue him from their clutches both times when he appeared interested in listening to their speeches. She had watched with an amused smile as he was shoved out of the way, by an overeager family in their quest for discounted soaps. And she was pretty sure that someone had rammed into his ankles with a trolley, but, except for the slight grimace of pain, he had given nothing away.

A relieved silence carried them to the car park, where they quickly packed the groceries that Ga Eul's mother had wanted into the back of Yi Jeong's Cadillac Seville.

"Well that was fun," Ga Eul declared happily as Yi Jeong slid into the driver's seat. "We should do it again."

Yi Jeong shot her a horrified glance as he started his car.

She smiled, a look of amusement sparkling in her eyes. "Oh don't be like that. I am sure that I would not have been able to cope without you."

"There is no need to try make me feel better. You didn't need my help." He said dryly. "And anyway I am sure that you delighted in my misery. Wasn't that the plan if the whole thing?" He winked at her, releasing butterflies into her stomach. "Unless it was my delightful company that you wanted."

"So you'll come shopping with me again, then?" She asked, refusing to dignify his last statement with a comment that he would no doubt use against her.

"If you are going to shop like that…" He shook his head. "I'll stick to my more civilised and less chaotic way of shopping, thanks. That was my worst shopping experience of my life."

"Oh don't be such a baby. It wasn't that bad." Ga Eul replied sniggering slightly. "Although it wouldn't have been much of a punishment if you enjoyed it. I didn't think that you would be able to cope with this type of shopping, especially after you told me how you usually shop, but you did remarkably well for a spoilt rich guy." The harshness of her words was undermined by softness of her voice.

The rest of the car trip passed remarkably quickly, as the two listened to radio and passed comments on the music being played. Before long they had entered into a hot debate about what type of music could be considered good. They were arguing over the dubious value of boy-bands when they eventually arrived at Ga Eul's house.

"Just give it up Sunbae, boy-bands are as integral to Korean culture as barbeque is. They give our country character."

Yi Jeong sighed, ceding her point. "True but I still believe that there is no justification for combining five boy-bands together. Some things should just not be done. Ever."

Ga Eul laughed as she walked round to the boot of his car. "I don't know. Knock Out wasn't that bad. I enjoyed it."

"Then you have no musical taste." He declared pompously.

Dodging her playful slap, he popped open the boot and reached for some of the shopping bags. "Let me help you with these."

"Thanks." Ga Eul murmured. "It will save me from doing so many trips up and down the stairs."

"If we're lucky we might be able to get all of these bags up to your apartment in one go." Yi Jeong said as he began piling shopping bags into his arms.

Between the two of them they managed to gather all of the bags at once and staggered up to Ga Eul's family's apartment on the second floor.

"Sunbae, will you hold these bags for me?" Ga Eul said, when they reached the landing.

Handing over four of the bags to an already over-laden potter, Ga Eul managed to fish out her house keys and unlock the door to her family's apartment. "You can leave your bags here," she said nodding to the floor by the door. "I'll take mine in and come out and get them."

"Are you sure?" Yi Jeong said reluctantly. "Aren't you worried that someone might take them?"

Ga Eul laughed. "They'll be fine for two minutes. Don't worry. I'll be right out to get them."

"Very well, if you say so." Yi Jeong replied not making any move to put down the bags and step away. The two stared awkwardly at each other as an expectant silence fell between them.

Yi Jeong couldn't help but think that if he had been out with one of the women he usually spent time with, this would be the point in the evening when they kissed and she would invite him in for "a cup of coffee".

Somehow he had the feeling that with Ga Eul, he wouldn't be so "lucky". Ga Eul was likely to demand another session of punishment if he tried. Something that he planned to avoid at all costs.

Deciding that, as much as he wanted to, it was in his best interests not to tease her again, Yi Jeong decided to bid Ga Eul a goodnight.

"Ga Eul-shi." Yi Jeong began just as the door to Ga Eul's apartment swung open, revealing a middle aged woman.

"I knew it!" She exclaimed triumphantly.

Reflexively Yi Jeong and Ga Eul stepped back from each other at the accusation in the woman's voice.

The excitement on the woman's face slipped as she truly took in the scene before her. As she looked at the over-laden teenagers at her door, she realised that whatever she had expected to see, wasn't or hadn't happened.

"Omma." Ga Eul choked out as embarrassment tinged her face a bright red. She knew exactly what her mother had expected to find – the two of them kissing on her doorstep.

"Oh I am sorry." Ga Eul's mother said. "I couldn't hear your voices anymore and I thought…" She trailed off uncomfortably.

Ga Eul cringed as mortification swept through her. The agony of the moment was made worse when she caught Yi Jeong's amused smirk.

"I didn't mean to interrupt anything." Ga Eul's mother said catching the smile that Yi Jeong sent her daughter.

"You didn't interrupt anything." Yi Jeong assured her hastily, while Ga Eul spluttered next to him. "In fact I was just leaving."

"Oh nonsense." Ga Eul's mother said brushing his words aside. "Why don't you come in? Ga Eul never brings home any of her _male_ friends." She shot Ga Eul an accusatory glance, before turning back to Yi Jeong with a brilliant smile. "It would be wonderful to get to know you. You can have supper with us."

"Thank you for the offer but there is no need to feed me." He murmured, bowing politely. "I don't want to inconvenience you and your family."

Ga Eul's mother laughed. "It won't be an inconvenience at all. Feeding four people is the same as feeding three people. You haven't eaten yet have you?"

"No, ma'am." He replied politely.

"Good." Ga Eul's mother said with a tone of finality. "Then it's decided. You will be eating with us. In fact I insist. And don't call me ma'am. My name is Lee Dam Bi. "

Before either Yi Jeong or Ga Eul could utter a squeak of protest, she had grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the apartment.

Yi Jeong permitted a faint smile to grace his face as he allowed himself to be pulled into the apartment. While he may not have planned on staying for dinner, and he could say that he had tried to make his excuses, he was slightly curious as to what type of new experience he might experience as a result of having Ga Eul in his life.

"Honey," Lee Dam Bi called out as she entered the home. "Look who our daughter has brought home."

Yi Jeong couldn't help but swallow apprehensively as Ga Eul caught his eye and mouthed "I'm sorry."

**Author's Note:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always reviews are loved and enjoyed. Constructive crit is appreciated especially since I struggled with this fic.

30


	4. Chapter 4 An Ordinary Boy

**Author's Note:** I am dreadfully sorry for the delay. I have been busy managing three jobs in order to finance a holiday to South Korea in December, on top of varsity and a teaching prac in an under-privilege school. And then to top it off, I had writer's block. This chapter was supposed to be a lot longer but I thought that I had kept you all waiting long enough.

Without further delay – here is chapter four.

Enjoy

**Chapter Four – An Ordinary Boy**

Yi Jeong swallowed nervously as he fought the urge to fidget. Never before had be been subjected to such an intense scrutiny. Sitting across from him in Ga Eul's sitting room was her father, Chu Park Min. A serious looking man who had grunted a greeting, narrowed his eyes and then proceeded to study Yi Jeong as though he was a counterfeit piece of art masquerading as a masterpiece.

Silently, Yi Jeong cursed a certain stubborn waitress for allowing such a situation to occur. Although, he admitted to himself, she had tried to stop her mother and she had mouthed a silent apology. To think that he had shrugged of her apology before he'd known what she was getting him into. Ga Eul had introduced her father, before disappearing into the kitchen with her mother make the final dinner preparations, leaving Yi Jeong to fend for himself. Her departure had left nothing but a strained silence between him and her father.

Wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans, when Ga Eul's father gave no indication that he would stop staring, Yi Jeong wondered if he would have found the man less intimidating, if he had been dressed in his suit rather than in a pair of jeans and t-shirt. He knew that first impressions were rather important and he could help thinking that he would have made a better one if he were dressed in his usual attire.

It was only as that thought flitted though his mind that he wondered why he wanted to make a good impression in the first place. It was a rare for him to want to try and impress someone when there was no likelihood of him getting anything out of it. It was ironic that by wanting to experience Ga Eul's firsts it would lead to personal firsts for him as well. For a playboy such as himself, meeting a girl's parents had been a situation that he had always carefully avoided.

Naturally Ga Eul would be the only one who could manage to put him into a usually avoidable situation. What was with her and her ability to disrupt his carefully ordered world into one of awkwardness and unpredictability?

Deciding to try and make the best of the uncomfortable situation, Yi Jeong smiled politely as he addressed Ga Eul's father. "This is a lovely home that you have here."

Park Min grunted. "That's my wife's work. I don't get much say in what my house looks like." His eyes narrowed as he looked at Yi Jeong, his head moving up and down, clearly assessing him. Once more Yi Jeong wondered if the man found him lacking in some way.

"How old are you?" Chu Park Min barked out abruptly.

Startled, Yi Jeong replied quickly. "Um, 19 sir."

"Do you have your driver's licence?" Park Min shot back just as fast.

"Yes sir."

"Car?"

"Parked out front."

"Do you drink?"

"On occasion." Yi Jeong hedged.

A faint smile broke out on the elder man's face. "Perfect." He got up from his chair and left the room, leaving Yi Jeong to wonder what on earth had just happened. Yi Jeong had barely a minute to muse over the strange interrogation that he had been subjected to, when Ga Eul's father returned with a bottle of _soju _and two small glasses. In quick practised motions, he poured the liquor into the glasses before shoving one glass towards Yi Jeong. He picked up his own glass and leaned back into his armchair with an expectant look in his eyes.

Eyes widening in surprise, Yi Jeong picked up the glass, nodding his thanks as he did so. He had not expected the stern and imposing man to want to drink with him. Turning away, so that he was not facing the elder man directly, he raised the glass to his lips and downed the drink. His eyes watered slightly as the liquor burned down his throat but he managed not to cough as a familiar warmth settled in his stomach.

Yi Jeong turned back in time to watch Ga Eul's father throw back his drink. Exhaling loudly he said, "That's just what I needed." He smiled back at Yi Jeong. "Nothing like sharing drinks to make things easier between men, don't you agree?"

"Definitely." Yi Jeong said, surprised by Ga Eul's father's sudden shift to a more relaxed behaviour. Meeting a girl's parents wasn't as bad as he had expected. He had of heard horror stories where prospective boyfriends had to endure rigorous interrogations and outright threats of bodily damage from protective parents. A playboy of his calibre knew, just how vital it was to make sure that a situation never arose in which he was required to meet a woman's parents. While he knew that most families would be thrilled that their daughter had snagged the So heir and longed to get their clutches on his family's wealth, he knew better than to allow them to even entertain such fruitless imaginings. Overzealous parents were extremely difficult to dissociate oneself from – or so he had heard.

However, he was brought back down to earth, Ga Eul's father's next words. "But that doesn't mean that I like you. That remains to be seen." He chuckled at the shock on the potter's face. "You've finished high school?" Park Min asked as he settled more comfortably into his chair.

Yi Jeong nodded, bracing himself for another barrage of questions. "I finished last year."

"What are you doing with yourself now that you're finished? Are you working or furthering your studies? "

"I'm at university studying. I'm doing a Fine Arts degree at Shin–."

Before he could finish his explanation, Yi Jeong was cut off my by a loud exclamation of "Fine Arts! Why on earth are you studying Fine Arts!"

Taken aback by the disapproval in Park Min's voice, Yi Jeong replied hesitantly. "I am… I want to improve my skills so I can become a master potter."

"You still haven't answered my question. _**Why**_?"

Yi Jeong was silent for a moment as his brain frantically sought an answer that would appease the elder man. "Pottery is my destiny." He shrugged. "Sometimes I think that I was made to be a potter."

Park Min hmmphed. "While it's no doubt enjoyable to make pottery, is it a really something that you can pursue as a career? Not many people are able to support themselves let alone their families by being an artist. No, I have no doubt that you think that you are good," he said when Yi Jeong began to reply. "But you sometimes have to be realistic about your career choice. Anyone can be an artist – hell, dip a dog in paint and let it run on paper and the mess produced is called art. To be an artist in today's world it's not enough to be good, you have to be a master. And not many people can do that. Too many young people see themselves as good, but when it comes down to it, they can't cut it."

It was at that moment that Yi Jeong realised that Ga Eul's father had no idea who he was and that he was already on the way to being an international renowned potter. He didn't think of himself as a vain person but he did believe that everyone in Korea should have at least heard of him, especially considering how his name and face had been splashed over the news when he had been selected by UNESCO as young artist of the decade.

He was just about to explain his unique situation to Ga Eul's father when he continued. "Take my daughter for instance." The man's voice swelled with pride. "She has her head screwed on right. She wants to become a teacher. That's smart thinking if you ask me. With that degree to fall back on she has a guaranteed job, anywhere in Korea. And that, my boy, is what you need in this dog eat dog world where unemployment is on the rise. Don't go for art – find something that will provide for you and your family. You can always make pottery as a hobby in your free time."

Yi Jeong nodded mutely. To say that he was stunned by Park Min's attitude to him was an understatement. It was a rare experience for him to be mistaken for one of the plebs, and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted to correct Ga Eul's father's misconception. Especially since the he was showing such concern for his wellbeing, something that his own father had never shown to him.

Just as things were about to grow awkward between the two males, Dam Bi popped her head around the corner and called out, "Dinner's ready boys."

Instantly Park Min's entire posture changed from one of intense concentration to one of happy anticipation. "Thanks love." He said as he rose from his chair indicating that Yi Jeong ought to follow him.

Yi Jeong followed the elder man to the dining room. The aroma of delicious food hit his nose, making him extremely thankful that he had been invited (dragged) in for the meal. He couldn't help but smile in anticipation. It was the first time in a very long time that he was looking forward to sitting at a dinner table and eating with people who did not include a member of the F4, Jun Pyo's domineering sister, a random woman or a business associate.

Despite the fact that he felt extremely inadequate due to Ga Eul's father's interrogation, he couldn't deny that he had felt more comfortable with Park Min than he ever had with his own father. It was heartening to be in the presence of an elder male who was actually interested in his life.

Taking in the small, simple but warm dinning table, Yi Jeong felt the beginnings of an eager grin tug at his lips. He fought to keep the smile off his face for a moment, thinking that it would be important to maintain his cool poise but gave up a second later when he realised that Ga Eul's family wouldn't judge him harshly for it, since to them, he was just an ordinary boy.

**Author's Note:** I hope that this chapter was everything that you were hoping for. Suggestions for events in the upcoming dinner are welcomed.

And as usual, reviews and constructive criticism are adored and welcomed.


	5. Chapter 5 False Security

**Author's Note: **Yeah so it's been a while… Actually it's been over a year, but the last year was just too crazy for me to fit in creative writing. I was in my final year at university, and I had no time to write, between my two jobs, 4th year project which was affectionately named Voldemort when it was completed and studying to graduate with cum laude – which I am pleased to say that I got. I now have a job teaching English at a high school and the April holidays are coming up so hopefully I will be able to spur this story back into life. To everyone who has waited so long for this chapter – I hope you like it.

**Chapter Five – False Security**

Dinner with Ga Eul's family was a remarkably light affair, especially considering the typical social functions that Yi Jeong usually attended. Her family made light conversation which mainly circulated around each family member's experiences throughout the day.

After his initial interrogation before dinner by Ga Eul's father, Yi Jeong had expected Ga Eul's mother to continue in the same vein. However her display at the front door when he had arrived seemed a distant memory as she sat herself down at the table and invited him to 'help himself' to the food on the table.

Yi Jeong was quiet through most of the meal, simply relishing the relaxed atmosphere that Ga Eul and her family shared around the dinner table. It was very different from the bitter tension that always permeated the dinner room when his family had meals together. He couldn't help but compare Ga Eul's mother's relaxed attentiveness to her husband as she casually passed him food that she knew he liked or felt that he needed to eat, to his mother who desperately served his father, hesitantly checking each offering for his approval before placing it in his bowl. Likewise Ga Eul's father accepted Ga Eul's gentle chiding that he eat more carrots with a smile and was quick to thank his wife for the meal that she had cooked, unlike Yi Jeong's father who ignored his wife completely and only spoke to Yi Jeong to remind him that the future of the company now rested on his shoulders since his brother's defection.

For the first time in a very long time, Yi Jeong actually wanted the dinner to continue indefinitely, there was no overwhelming feeling to escape as quickly as possible, least the animosity at the table be directed at him. Overall, dinner with Ga Eul's family rated as one of the best meals he had ever had, for while the food wasn't the best he had ever eaten, it was wholesome and filling. And that said nothing for the feeling of warmth that was continuing to blossom in his chest the longer he sat there absorbing the atmosphere and Ga Eul's secret (but obvious to him) looks in his direction, as though she was checking if he was still enjoying himself.

Yi Jeong smiled as he finally caught Ga Eul looking in his direction and for the first time that evening she did not look away guiltily.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

Yi Jeong was just about to reply when his phone's ringtone cut through the air. He pulled out his phone, and glanced at the caller ID. "I've got to take this." He said, rising from the table. He turned his back and disappeared into the sitting room, flicking open his phone open and greeting the caller.

The second the door shut quietly behind Yi Jeong, Ga Eul turned to her parents. "So what do you think of him?" She asked, trying to sound causal.

"He seems like a nice enough boy," her father said brusquely. "Not good enough for you especially since he wants to become an artist, but that won't last long. Real life will put him straight."

"He is incredibly polite," said her mom. "I like him." She smiled slying at her daughter, "but the important question here is, what do you think of him?"

"I…um, I think he is…" Ga Eul hesitated, trying to sort out her feelings prompted by the unexpected question. "Well, Yi Jeong is…" She paused as her mind supplied a range of appropriate adjectives to describe him – a playboy, rich, cultured, handsome, talented and confident. Ultimately he was completely out of her league.

And yet there was something more to him. Something hidden in him that drew her towards him in spite of this. She thought of all the times he had treated her callously, disregarding her completely and making her feel like a fool, but for each one of those horrible painful memories, there was also a pleasant one to match. Moments where he had looked out for her, where he relaxed and showed her a different side of him completely flooded her mind. Moments when all she could feel was the heady exhilaration that he ignited within her.

She was just about to answer her mother when Yi Jeong returned to the dining room.

As usual, he immediately drew her attention, but instead of seeing the calm confident man she had come to know, she saw Yi Jeong, pale and confused, his eyes wide with barely controlled panic.

"Sunbae, are you okay?" Ga Eul asked, rising to her feet.

He reached up to yank loose a tie that wasn't there. In his distress he had forgotten that he was not in one of his trademark suits. Instead he yanked his hand through his hair, ruining his carefully styled coiffure. "It's my mother." He stammered. "She's in hospital."

"Oh my!" Ga Eul's mother exclaimed, her hands covering her mouth in shock.

"What happened?" Ga Eul's father asked.

"She…" Yi Jeong cut himself off abruptly, shaking his head, as though trying to regain his senses. "I've got to go." He fumbled through his pockets, searching for his keys. "I need to…" He trailed off, his lost keys now found. He turned to Ga Eul and her family. "Thank you for the meal but I need to go." He bowed and headed out the door.

Ga Eul sent a questioning look to her parents, who both nodded, concern evident in their eyes. Having gained their permission, Ga Eul rose and quickly followed Yi Jeong out the door and down the stairs.

Ga Eul caught up to Yi Jeong just as he unlocked his car and slid into the driver's seat. 'Sunbae, wait! I'm coming with you." She cried, yanking open the passenger door and flinging herself into the seat.

Yi Jeong froze, his hand on the ignition to glare indignantly at the woman sitting next to him. "Get out. You don't need to come with."

She looked at him steadily, her chin tilting stubbornly. "No I don't but _you_ need _me _to come with."

"I don't need you." He bit out, angry at the delay she was causing. "You don't know what's happened. You don't know a damn thing about my family. You can't help."

"So tell me what's happened." She said softly, reaching out to touch his clenched hand. She waited for him to say something, but when he continued to glare at her she continued, "Yi Jeong sunbae, I am coming with you to the hospital. If you kick me out now, I will simply catch the bus to the hospital. I am not going to leave you alone to deal with this."

Yi Jeong stared at Ga Eul, taking in the fierce determination that glowed in her eyes. He knew he could bully her into not coming with him, eventually, but that would take time. Time that he didn't want to waste.

"Fine." He snapped, jerking his hand from her grasp. He immediately missed its comforting warmth. He refused to dwell on the fact that Ga Eul's presence in the car had managed to calm some of his earlier panic. He started the car and pulled out of the parking bay.

His eyes darted to her profile as he wove expertly though Seoul's traffic. She stared calmly ahead, her hands folded in her lap. Somehow her serenity eased him and his breathing became less frantic, less desperate. The panic that had threatened to consume him, lessened and he no longer had to fight back rising bile.

Yi Jeong absorbed the calm that Ga Eul exuded. Ga Eul was the first woman that he had ever known who was prepared to stay with him when times got tough. Granted most of the woman he dated only wanted the happily ever after that they believed his money would bring. Ga Eul was different. She hadn't wavered and turned her back on him, like he expected and half hoped she would.

Instead she had taken one look at him and rushed to his side. Her actions had touched him more than he had ever thought possible.

And that was something that he couldn't allow. If this continued he would develop feelings for her, and that was something he couldn't allow.

For both his and her sake.

"My mother tried to commit suicide." He said shattering the silence between them, his eyes resolutely focused on the traffic ahead of him. He felt, rather than saw Ga Eul turn to look at him. "She swallowed a bottle of sleeping tablets this afternoon. The maids only found her when they tried to wake her for supper." He grimaced bitterly. "She finally did what she has been threatening to do for years."

Despite the fact that he had only told her about his mother to shock her and scare her away, Yi Jeong felt as though a great weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders. It was the first time he had ever told anyone about this mom and her problems. While it hadn't done anything to solve the problem, it was still comforting to know that someone, even if it was only someone who would be in his life for a short while longer, knew about his mother.

"Why…" Ga Eul's voice faded into silence at the enormity of the situation struck her.

"Why did she try commit suicide?" Yi Jeong completed her sentence. "Because my father doesn't love her and in true playboy fashion got himself another lover. She loves him and it kills her to see him with another woman. Literally."

Her horrified gasp told him all that he need to know about her reaction.

Yi Jeong swallowed heavily as his next words threatened to choke him, but he forced them out anyway. She needed to know what she was getting into.

"It's the same fate that awaits the woman I marry." He all but whispered into the silence.

**Author's Note:** Phew but does that feel good to have out of my system. I have been trying to write this chapter since Dec 2010 – I have proof and numerous rough drafts that didn't cut it. I woke up this morning and decided – I want to write and I think I am going to write that damned chapter 5, so I did, in one day too.

Anyway, enough about my writer's block. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome – it's been awhile and I fear I am out of practice. Chapter 6 should be out soon – I feel like I am bribing you here.

.


	6. Chapter 6 Right to Fight

**Author's Note:** Just as an aside and an attempt to clear confusion before it happens, Yi Jeong's mother has a different surname to Yi Jeong. This is for no other reason except for the fact that Koreans do not adopt their husband's surname when they marry. Special thanks to Lindi for confirming that fact for me.

**Chapter 6 – The Right to Fight**

Yi Jeong strode through the hallways of the hospital, his long legs moving purposefully as he hurried to the emergency ward. Ga Eul struggled along behind him, alternating between a brisk walk and the hurried trot as she tried to keep up with him.

Yi Jeong was oblivious to her struggles behind him as his mind raced ahead to where his mother was. As the stark scent of antiseptic assaulted his nose, Yi Jeong struggled to make sense of the reality of the situation. His mother had often threatened suicide in response to his father's infidelities and while he had repeatedly taken them seriously and gone and dealt with the women, he had never expected this day to come. He had always believed that he would have been able to stop her before it went too far.

While he had no doubt whatsoever, that his mother's actions were the product of his father's string of women, he couldn't help but feel guilty for his role in the matter.

He should have done something – anything – to stop this from happening. After all she was his mother and he was the only person in her life who actually gave a damn.

Ultimately all of his family's misfortune lay at his father's feet. He was the one who had torn their family apart by chasing away his eldest son and emotionally destroyed his mother, leaving Yi Jeong to pick up the broken pieces of his 'family'.

His father's actions weighed heavily on Yi Jeong's mind.

_Did his father know or even care about what had happened to his wife? _Yi Jeong wondered furiously.

Part of him viciously hoped that his father would be waiting at the ward ahead, so that his father could witness the consequences of his actions first hand. Yet as anger swelled through him, he prayed that he wouldn't be there because he would probably lose what little control he had left if he saw his uncaring face.

His arrival at the emergency ward's reception desk prevented him from dwelling further on his father.

"I am here to see Lee Ha Ni." He told the nurse on duty.

The woman looked up, taking in the young man before her and the panting, young woman beside him. She nodded once and examined the paperwork on the counter in front of her.

"Relation to the patient?" She asked holding up a blue folder in her hand.

"I'm her son." Yi Jeong bit out, chaffing at the delay as his anxiety over his mother's condition increased. "So Yi Jeong."

The nurse mouthed his name as she realised who she was dealing with before she nodded again and opened the folder. Her eyes quickly skimmed over its contents. She hesitated before speaking, her eyes darting towards Ga Eul and then back to Yi Jeong's, silently seeking permission to give out confidential information in front of someone not related to the patient.

"Tell me." Yi Jeong demanded, uncaring about who heard what, as panic threatened to overwhelm his tenuous control over his emotions.

"Yes sir." The nurse responded automatically, picking up on both the authority and desperation in his voice. "Your mother came in ten minutes ago. She over dosed herself with sleeping tablets. She is currently in theatre, having her stomach pumped. You will have to wait a while before you can go in to see her. The doctors need to make sure that there hasn't been any damage to her internal organs. I would suggest that you take a seat over there while you wait." She said, gesturing across the room. "I will let you know as soon as there are any changes."

"Good. Make sure that she receives the best treatment possible. Money is not an issue." Yi Jeong instructed.

Ga Eul watched as Yi Jeong all but collapsed onto one of the chairs in the waiting room. Now that he had lost his focus, it seemed as though he had run out of energy. She wrung her hands together as she watched him run a hand over his face. She had no idea how to break the heavy silence that had engulfed them since his painful declaration in the car. Rather than try and bring it up again, Ga Eul cleared her throat nervously.

"Sunbae, I…" She faltered as his dark gaze fell on her. "I'm going to get some coffee. I'll bring one back for you." She blurted out as she turned and disappeared down the corridor, before he could say anything to hold her back.

Yi Jeong's gaze, which was dark with suppressed emotions, followed her down the passage. He sighed, as he realised that she had all but fled from him. While he wished she would stay by his side to distract him, he was glad that she had begun to pull back from the pain that he promised to any woman in his life. He hated the fact that he was drawn to her, and that he could never fulfil her ideals of a soul mate. Not with a fate like his looming over him.

If she spent more time with him, he would only end up hurting her like his father had hurt his mother. The idea of seeing Ga Eul in pain sent a shudder of revulsion through him. While he knew that he had told Woo Bin that he would try live his life as he chose before his parents stepped in and tried to run it for him, he knew he couldn't spend more time with Ga Eul, without wanting to fight his fate.

He felt a tinge of regret at her departure and his actions that had caused it but it was quickly crushed by his growing hatred for his father. Now that he knew that his mother was in good hands, his desire for retribution was quickly overwhelming his feelings of panic. He clenched his fists in an effort to remain seated, while the nurse he had spoken to earlier repeatedly checked her pager, waiting for any news that would get her either out of his presence or provide her with some information to placate the increasingly angry young man before her.

Yi Jeong's head turned, a short while later, at the sound of soft steady steps coming down the corridor. Ga Eul came towards him, her eyes focused on the plastic cups in her hands and her lower lip between her teeth as she tried to keep from spilling the hot coffee. Even in his anger he could still appreciate how cute she looked.

When she reached him, she silently handed him a cup before sitting down on the chair next to him. Yi Jeong clutched the hot cup in both hands, feeling heat return to his cold fingers. He took a sip of the instant coffee and momentarily relished the warmth that radiated through his body.

"Have you heard any–" Ga Eul began.

"Not yet." Yi Jeong cut her off.

Ga Eul swallowed audibly before taking a sip of coffee for a lack of anything better to do. She longed to reach out to Yi Jeong. To take his hand and reassure him that everything would be alright. However, realistically speaking, she knew that he would reject her and that there wasn't anything that she could say to make him feel better. And she didn't actually know that everything _would_ turn out well.

"Have you told the rest of the F4 about your mother?" She asked softly, hoping that he had, so they would be able to offer him some support since he seemed so determined to deal with this on his own.

He shook his head. "They don't need to know."

"But surely they could –" she paused as he turned to look at her with pain filled eyes, "help you through this." She finished weakly.

"They have enough issues of their own." Yi Jeong said shortly. "They don't need to deal with mine as well."

Her throat ached as she fought back tears of frustration and worry for both Yi Jeong and his mother. Clearly he was determined to deal with the entire situation by himself and he was not going to accept any of the support that she offered.

Not that it would stop her from offering it anyway.

"Well, I don't have any issues at the moment and what kind of friend would I be if I didn't offer to help." She said with a forced smile as she tried to lighten the situation. "So feel free to use me for anything."

Yi Jeong looked over at her, a strange look in his eyes, but before he could say anything, the doors to the emergency theatre opened, revealing a stern looking doctor. Immediately, Ga Eul's hand shot out to clutch Yi Jeong's. Her warm fingers tightened around his ice cold ones as the nurse caught the doctor's eye and gestured towards them.

"Are you Lee Ha Ni's son?" The doctor asked once he had stopped in front of them.

Yi Jeong nodded, his hand tightening in dread around Ga Eul's. Though he would never admit it, he was suddenly grateful for her presence and the strength that she gave him.

"Your mother is well, at least physically. We were able to remove all the sleeping tablets from her stomach. At this stage there appears to be no damage to her liver and kidneys and the CAT scans came back clear. However we will be keeping her for observation just in case." He paused briefly before continuing. "I strongly suggest that you organise a therapist to speak to her. Whatever drove her to suicide needs to be dealt with before she tries it again."

Yi Jeong forced himself to nod. He wished that his mother's problem could be solved as simply as sending her to a psychologist. Much of his mother's problems would be solved if his father simply behaved like a husband and remained faithful.

"When can I see my mother?" He asked, his voice tight with emotion.

The doctor glanced down at his watch. "You should be able to see her now, but she will be resting and I would prefer it if you kept your visit short."

"I will and thank you." He said his voice cracking as he bowed in gratitude. "Thank you for saving my mother."

Releasing Ga Eul's hand, albeit reluctantly, Yi Jeong turned away and head down the ward to find the ward that his mother had been placed in.

Yi Jeong stood just outside his mother's ward, his hand resting on the handle as he tried to get a handle on his emotions. Ga Eul stepped next to him and placed her hand lightly on his outstretched arm.

"She's going to be okay." She said softly.

He nodded and swallowed tightly and opened the door and entered the room unsure of what to expect.

Seeing his mom, lying pale and still in the bed broke his heart. A drip was attached to her arm and a heart monitor beeped quietly. He stood there for a moment taking it all in, waiting. Waiting for his mother's eyes to flutter open and smile softly at him. However she remained still and the machine bleeped on, with no sign that she was even close to waking.

Yi Jeong walked over hesitantly and gently picked up his mother's limp hand, careful not to disturb the drip in her arm. "Eomma. You should have called me." He whispered as he blinked back tears. "I would have…" He trailed off as he lifted her hand to his head as he knelt next to her and wept for what might have been, for what he had nearly lost.

Ga Eul stood aside as she tried not to watch Yi Jeong as he wept at his mother's bedside. Her heart went out to him. She couldn't judge him when he so clearly loved his mother with all his heart.

Knowing that he would probably feel uncomfortable to know that she had watched him cry, Ga Eul quietly left the room and closed the door behind her, giving him time alone with his mother.

As Ga Eul took a seat outside the ward, her mind drifted towards Yi Jeong's earlier confession. She felt it hard to believe that he felt that any woman he married would end up in like his mother. Especially since it was so clear that he hated what had happened to his mother.

Even though Yi Jeong had carefully cultivated a playboy attitude, it was obvious that he would never do to his wife what his father had done to his mother as long as he truly loved his wife. Ga Eul couldn't get over the fact that Yi Jeong so obviously thought that his player behaviour was hereditary and that he was doomed to repeat the sins of his father.

Clearly his family life was awkward and painful and Ga Eul could only imagine just how different her family must have seemed to him. His smile at the table earlier that evening suddenly seemed so much more heart-breaking. While she knew that her family wasn't perfect, she was horrified to realise that in spite of his family's wealth, Yi Jeong was not happy at home.

She had only ever been exposed to the charming, confident Yi Jeong and this night's revelations had left her reeling as she tried to figure out who he really was. She couldn't believe how badly she had misjudged him. She should have known that his flashy confident mask was actually hiding a darker, deeper pain.

A short while later, Yi Jeong emerged from the ward looking tired and drawn.

"Come on." He said gesturing down the corridor. "Let's get you home."

Ga Eul got up and followed him easily down the passage. His walk was slow and carefully paced – the events of the evening having left him empty. "She will be okay." She said, desperately trying to comfort this stranger that Yi Jeong had become.

He nodded mutely.

They had just reached the hospital parking lot when Yi Jeong ground to a stop. Ga Eul paused a step ahead of him and looked back to see what had stopped him. Yi Jeong's gaze was focused just ahead of them as a handsome older man came towards them.

"Nice of you to make it, Abeoji." Yi Jeong all but sneered. "I didn't think that you would actually care enough to come."

The hostility in Yi Jeong's voice halted his father immediately and red blotches of anger flushed his face. "Who are you to dare speak to me like that, boy?" He spat out.

"Your son, So Yi Jeong." Yi Jeong said, his voice rising as his emotions got the better of him. "The son of the woman, who is lying in hospital, because you don't give a damn about what your actions do to her. Your philandering has nearly killed her and I refuse to sit back and let you continue. "

"Really?" Yi Jeong's father snapped back, causing Ga Eul to flinch at the animosity in his voice. "You're right, I don't love her but I never wanted this either. I am just as much a victim of the So family's manipulations as she is. I did exactly what they wanted when I married her and gave them their heirs. I've done what they wanted and I won't have another So try and tell me what to do especially not my son." He paused to glare at Yi Jeong. "Get out of my way before I do something that you and I both regret."

Yi Jeong's father swept past them as he strode into the hospital, leaving a seething Yi Jeong and a horrified Ga Eul behind. For a moment, Ga Eul was afraid that Yi Jeong would go after his father and she reached out to touch his arm in a vain attempt to hold him back in case he did. She watched as he took a deep breath and took a hold of himself, before he jerked his arm away from her and strode into the parking lot, away from his father, and her.

Yi Jeong said nothing, refusing to look at Ga Eul as he got into his car. While anger still coursed through him it mingled with shock at his father's bitterness. He knew that he had overstepped his bounds by confronting his father but he didn't regret it. For too long his father had made his mother's life miserable in some sort of bizarre idea of 'tit for tat'. While he refused to condone his father's infidelities, he completely understood how the pressures of the So family could result in his father's actions.

Hadn't he, after all promised himself the same life in defiance to his pre-determined fate of an arranged marriage? If he was never going to get the chance to marry for a greater reason like love, he saw no reason for allowing himself the luxury of falling in love especially given his first and last experience with it. Ultimately it just wasn't worth it.

Ga Eul sat next to Yi Jeong, terrified to say anything. She had witnessed something that rarely occurred in filial Korea. She knew that if she said anything it was likely to be misinterpreted by Yi Jeong and she honestly didn't think that she could handle any more intense emotions. What had started out as a pleasant day, with the occasional spark of passion had turned into an emotional roller-coaster. One which she had been left drained from and she hadn't even been "on it".

Thankfully the roads were quiet and they reached Ga Eul's apartment fairly quickly. They climbed the stairs to her family's flat and were soon standing outside her door.

"Ga Eul-shi," Yi Jeong said, addressing her for the first time since they had left the hospital.

She looked up at him, surprised at the emptiness in his voice.

"I'm sorry that had you had to see that tonight. You don't need to be burdened by my family's stuff ups, but all the same, I just want to say thank you for being there for me. If you hadn't been there, I don't know what I might have done."

She opened her mouth to tell him that she hadn't really done anything to help him when he cut her off.

"I'll see you around." He said emotionlessly as he disappeared down the stairs.

And Ga Eul couldn't help but think that he didn't mean it.

**Author's Note: **Yoh, what an emotional chapter. I feel rather drained after all that. I really hope that I managed to portray that successfully.

Special thanks to all people who reviewed the last chapter. To the 47 people who have this story on alert (which is more than the reviews that I have to date for this fic) – I hope you enjoy this chapter and that you might be inspired to write a review in return. While I am delighted to have so many alerts, I would really love to get some feedback from you for my chapters as it inspires me to write more.


	7. Chapter 7 Haru Haru

**Chapter Seven – Haru haru (Day by Day)**

_Life was curiously un-empty without him in her life._

_He had arrived out of the blue, played the role of the charming black knight and swept her off her feet. As they were about to ride off into the sunset, he paused, looked her in the eye and told her firmly to leave and the next thing she knew, she had been dumped back on the rocky ground to face the cold reality that had shadowed her all along._

_And that heartless reality dictated that she move on. Things still had to be done and she had to do them, regardless of her heart. _

Ga Eul paused, pen in hand as she studied the page before her. Her eyes flew over the words and she snorted in disgust before tearing it out of the writing pad and dumping it into the dustbin. She muttered softly to herself as she picked up a loose page paper from the top of her books and re-read the essay question.

"**Select the title of a popular song and write a short narrative essay (2 pages) using the title as a prompt."**

Ga Eul closed her eyes and sighed again in frustration.

IU's "Cruel Fairy Tale" lay next to a crumpled "Lie" by CNBlue and Big Bang's "Bad Boy" in her overflowing dustbin and her assignment, which was due the next day, lay blank on her desk.

It had been just over a week since she had seen Yi Jeong and his absence was starting to take its toll on her. As much as she tried to stop herself, her mind wandered and every errant thought she had immediately fixated on him. She repeatedly wondered how he and his mother were coping and if she would ever see him again.

And now, her unwanted musings were starting to affect her school work.

Shaking her head, Ga Eul scrolled through her playlist and selected a new song.

"Surely 4Minute's "Volume Up" will be safe to use?" she thought as she picked up her pen to start again.

* * *

"Whatcha up to?"

The question broke the silence that had settled in the studio. Yi Jeong looked up at the grinning face of Woo Bin and frowned, unimpressed by his friend's question. "What does it look like?"

"Honestly, it looks like you're playing with mud."

"I think you need to ask the Shinwa administration for your money back," Yi Jeong said, "'cause you clearly didn't learn anything if you are saying stuff like that."

Woo Bin held up his hands, in mock surrender. "Hey! I know what you are supposed to be doing, but from where I've been standing for the last five minutes, I haven't seen even a semblance of a pot on that wheel. And last time I checked, knuckle impressioned rocks aren't popular."

Yi Jeong looked at the lump of clay on the potter's wheel before him and silently admitted to himself that Woo Bin was right. He had been trying for the two hours to form even the most basic of pots and had punched each and every one of them down, just as they had begun to form. He pulled back and wiped his muddy hands on his apron. Sighing heavily, he turned to his friend. "So what's up?"

Woo Bin pushed himself off the door frame he had been leaning on. "Not much. I could be asking you the same thing. You've been missing in action for a while so I just thought I'd come and check on you." He peered at the clay splatters spread over the table and the clay that had hardened on Yi Jeong's face. "I take it that your 'thing' with Ga Eul didn't go well. Didn't she put out or something?'

"Yes. I mean no. It doesn't matter." He glared at Woo Bin. "Don't talk about her like that?"

"Well that clears up everything." Woo Bin said sarcastically. "I am glad I asked."

Yi Jeong picked up a clod of clay and threw it at Woo Bin, who promptly dodged it. "Aish, you asked the wrong questions at the same time, idiot. The "thing" with Ga Eul-shii, which incidentally is not _anything_, went well enough for the most part, and it had nothing to do with her not putting out anything, which she did… and didn't."

Woo Bin's right eyebrow rose as he stared at Yi Jeong. "Okay," he said slowly. "Do you want to try that again so it actually makes sense?"

"I'd rather not. It doesn't make sense in my head anyway." Yi Jeong said as he started washing his hands. "Besides it's not important anyway. It's not going to work out between us."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to hurt her."

Woo Bin watched silently as his friend walked away to get changed, his words running through his head. Yi Jeong was hurting worse than he let on.

* * *

"Okay guys, can I get your attention?"

The class president's voice intruded on Ga Eul's musings. She had been staring out of the window, her thoughts on her looming university entrance exams. Since she wasn't sure what she wanted to study, she had applied at most major universities as well as a few collages just in case they offered a course she was interested in. She has been receiving letters of conditional acceptance all week and her future was looming blankly over her.

Forcing herself to pay attention, she turned to look at Park Ba Yoen, who was fiddling with papers in the front of the class as he waited for the class to pay attention to him.

When the class had settled down, he began his presentation. "As you all know, the school festival is coming up and we need to decide what our class is going to do."

Ga Eul grinned. This was just what she needed to take her mind off all her worries. She loved the build-up to the event as well as the day itself. Although she was sad that this one would be her last school festival that she helped participate in, she couldn't wait.

Immediately, the class began shouting out suggestions, creating a din that would make a lesser person's ears bleed. Ba Yoen raised his hands and voice to stop them. "One at a time, guys. I can't hear you if you all shout over each other."

A few hands shot up and ideas were given in a slightly calmer manner but with just as much enthusiasm.

"I think we should run a food stall." The largest boy in the class offered.

"Yeah, a curry stall would be awesome." Came a voice from the back of the class, which was followed by a series of high fives from his friends.

"I vote for a fortune telling booth, those are always a success." Said the girl behind Ga Eul. "We can do love match predictions." This garnered a few squeals from excited girls in the class.

"I second the fortune telling booth, we can make a fortune off everyone with exams coming up." Jin Hyuk said excitedly. "Maybe we should make good luck charms to sell as well."

Min Jae, the most popular girl in the class cleared her throat and in a tone of an adult speaking to a group of small, slightly stupid children said, "Obviously we should perform something, since we are in our final year and we want to go out with a bang."

Almost immediately, the class broke out into heated discussion as everyone began to express their opinion on the given options. Ga Eul rested her head on her hand and wisely decided to keep quiet. They didn't need another voice to add to the mayhem. She would be happy with almost anything, although dancing wasn't really her thing, she had faith in her class that they wouldn't go with a stage performance. Her class wasn't the most out spoken of classes around, preferring to keep out of the spotlight.

As she listened to the arguments around her, she couldn't help but wonder what the Shinwa school festivals would be like. They would, without a doubt, be spectacular given the amount of money they had at their disposal. Her school festival would probably pale in comparison, but her school had a spectacular festival tradition that never failed to impress every guest who stumbled upon it.

A smile flittered to her lips at the thought of Yi Jeong at her school's festival. Like the shopping that she had inflicted on him, it would likely be something that would boggle his mind. For all his worldly knowledge, he was surprised by the most mundane things. She could almost imagine the look of shock on his face at the organised chaos that her school produced.

A moment later, a flash of nausea flashed through her, when she remembered that Yi Jeong was no longer in her life to invite to such things. Ga Eul swallowed hard and returned her attention to her class president.

* * *

Yi Jeong knocked softly on his mother's door, not wanting to disturb his mother in case she was sleeping.

"Come in."

Readjusting his grip on the flowers he carried, Yi Jeong opened the door and strode in. He headed to his mother who was sitting in a patch of sun, with a book on her lap.

"Eomma." Yi Jeong placed a kiss on his mother's check and handed her the flowers. "These came for you just as I got home."

"Oh they are lovely." She said as she brought the bouquet to her nose. "I wonder who they are from?" She gestured to the seat across from her while she plucked the card out of the envelope, "Won't you take a seat and tell me about your day? How's the preparation for the show coming along?"

"It's going well actually." Yi Jeong said as he plucked a biscuit off the plate on the table and made himself comfortable. "We finally settled on a theme today and things are starting to fall into place. We are using the concept "Summer situations"."

"That's different. How are you going to open it up into artistic representation?" She asked, the card held loosely in her fingers, still unread.

"It's actually quite easy. Typically summer can be seen as a chance to express yourself freely, where there are less and less constrictions on not only the obvious like clothing, but also emotions and actions." Yi Jeong reached for another biscuit. "These are delicious by the way."

"They are, aren't they? I will have to tell the cook to make some more." She replied smiling faintly. "But I am so glad that your exhibit is coming along so nicely. I am looking forward to seeing it."

Yi Jeong smiled as he watched his mother read the card. Hearing her say that she wanted to see the show was a sign that she was slowly getting over her suicidal attempts as she was taking an interest in the future.

"Well that's odd." Yi Jeong's mother murmured as she stared at the card in her hand.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know the person who sent me the flowers." Her brows crinkled in confusion. "The card says that I mustn't give up and that I must get better soon, but I swear I have never met someone with this name before."

"Let me see." Yi Jeong held out his hand to accept the card. His eyes skimmed quickly over the content of the card before settling on the name, carefully written at the end.

_Chu Ga Eul._

Yi Jeong stared at the name for a moment, shocked but not completely surprised that she had sent the flowers to his mother. Sending flowers to a friend's ailing mother was just the type of thing she would do, but considering their last meeting, he hadn't even expected her to do such a thing. Especially after almost three weeks.

"Yi Jeong?" His mother's voice intruded on his thoughts. "Do you know her?'

He nodded carefully. "She is one of my…" He paused, searching for the right word. "Friends."

"Oh really?" A glint entered his mother's eye. "How come you've never told me about her?"

Yi Jeong rolled his eyes at his mother's tone. "It's never come up and besides her and I aren't speaking at the moment. In fact I am surprised that she even sent you the flowers. I was a bit of an idiot the last time we spent time together."

"Ah. Well, next time you see her, please tell her that you are sorry and that I said thank you for the lovely flowers."

"What?" He yelped. "Why would I tell her that I am sorry?"

The look on his mother's face was unimpressed. "You just said that you acted like an idiot and if you still aren't talking, it's because you still haven't apologised." She picked up her book. "Now why don't you go off and finish planning your exhibit and let me carry on with my reading."

Rising to his feet, he gave his mom a kiss on the check again and left the room, his mother's words running in his head.

* * *

"So are you nearly ready for your school festival?"

Jan Di's question jolted Ga Eul out of her cleaning stupor. It was late on a Friday night and the last batch of customers had just left, leaving a massive mess on the table for the two girls to clean up before they could go home.

"Nearly." Ga Eul replied stretching. "Ever since my classmates decided that as seniors we had to go out with a bang, the preparations have gotten a little out of control."

"I thought you were going to help run the fortune telling booth." Jan Di stated as she piled a tray full of empty dishes.

"Oh I am, but apparently that's not enough. Min Jae decided that we should do a class performance as well, so we have been booked a spot in the talent show." Ga Eul groaned into her hand before turning to Jan Di with a look of absolute horror on her face. "It's going to be a nightmare. You know I can't dance to save my life."

Jan Di chuckled in sympathy. "What dance are you doing?"

"T-Ara's Rolly Polly."

Jan Di froze for a moment trying to recall the appropriate music video. "That's not too bad." She said after a moment's hesitation. "It could be worse, at least you don't have to buy outfits. I take it that you are going to be doing the Copacabana version so you can where your school clothes?"

Ga Eul nodded. "I know." She picked up the dirty dishes and staggered back to the kitchen. "It's actually pretty fun to do but I am just worried that I make a mistake on stage and move left when everyone goes right."

"Well if you do, I will beat up anyone who dares say a horrible thing about it." Jan Di grinned. "I am still invited right?"

"Of course. The school festival has always been open to the public."

Jan Di set her tray of dishes down with a clutter and started loading the dish washer. "Will you pass me the dishes?" She asked Ga Eul, who nodded in compliance. "Do you think I could invite Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo to come with? I think they might enjoy it."

"Sure, I don't see why not. Just keep them away from Jin Hyuk, 'cause he is going to try and fleece them of all their money."

Jan Di grinned. "Is he still that bad?"

"Definitely. He has an eye for making money like you won't believe."

The two girls shared a smile. "So how's Jun Pyo Sunbae and the rest of the F4 doing?" Ga Eul asked as she handed a bowl to her.

"They are super busy at the moment. Jun Pyo is busy working on a business deal, Ji Hoo is preparing for a recital. I think Woo Bin is wrapping up a land sale and Yi Jeong is organising an exhibit at his family's museum." She threw a quick look at Ga Eul. "But don't worry. I am sure that they will make time to come with to your festival when I mention it."

"You don't have to." Ga Eul said quickly.

"Don't worry." Jan Di said unconcernedly. "It's not hard."

Realising that her friend had misread her distress completely, Ga Eul simply sighed to herself. If Yi Jeong came to her festival, she would just treat him like she treated the rest of the F4 – politely.

Thankfully the clean-up went quickly and the two girls were ready to go just after midnight.

"These late night shifts are the worst." Jan Di said, stretching in the door way.

"Tell me about it." Ga Eul said as she adjusted her handbag over her shoulder. "Thank goodness we get to sleep in tomorrow."

The two walked down the street together, but when they got to the corner, they said their goodbyes and went off in separate directions.

Ga Eul was three blocks away from her house, her mind running through her dance moves when a hooded man stepped out in front of her.

Jerking to a halt, lest she bump into him, Ga Eul reflexively bowed and murmured an apology. She was about to step aside when he grabbed her arm and shoved her up against the wall.

Ga Eul cried out in pain as her head knocked against the cold concrete. A moment later she heard a soft snick and felt the cold hard edge of a blade against her neck. Ga Eul froze.

"Give me your phone and wallet." His voice was gruff and cold.

A tremor of fear swept through her as she raised her hands to do as she was told, but apparently that wasn't fast enough for him.

"Now!" He ordered and he shoved against the wall again. The knife bit into her neck.

Tears of pain trickled down her face as she shakingly removed her bag and gave it to him.

'Don't move." He snarled. He quickly pulled out her wallet and cell phone, before turning her bag upside down to shake out its contents. When this revealed nothing of worth, he threw her handbag down and glared at her.

"Don't you dare tell the police about me." He threatened waving the knife in her face. "I know where you live." He left the threat unfinished before turning and running off down the street.

Ga Eul knelt down on shaking legs and slowly gathered the contents of her handbag which lay scattered on the sidewalk. Her hands shook as she fumbled for her compact. A quick look inside revealed a broken mirror and her own tear stained face.

As quickly as she could, Ga Eul shoved her belongings into her, now defiled, handbag.

Ga Eul hardly recalled the trip home, most of it just being a blur of pain and delayed adrenalin. She staggered into the house, blindly locked the door behind her before heading straight to her parents room.

The light from her parent's room was still on and Ga Eul knocked before entering the room. She took in her father, reading in bed, just before the back of head throbbed painfully. She touched the back of her head softly and felt the dampness in her hair.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Her father asked worriedly, setting aside his book.

She pulled her hand away, and looked at the blood that coated her fingertips. With panic in her eyes, she looked at her father and murmured "Appa," before falling unconscious on the bedroom floor.

**Author's Note:** What an unpleasant cliff hanger… Sorry but it seemed the best place to end the chapter for now.

I know that there wasn't much (none at all) Yi Jeong and Ga Eul interaction in this chapter, but it was all very important. While it may have had a slight filler feel to it, I need to set the scene for the next few chapters as well as let Ga Eul and Yi Jeong have their very brief opportunity to indulge in a self-pity fest.

So please review. I am really curious to know what your opinion of this chapter was. Thankfully I am going to be on holiday in a weeks time so I will be able to work on and upload the next chapter soon.


	8. Chapter 8 Taking Action

**Author's Note: **This is an immediate shout out to each and every person who has read, reviewed, favourited and followed this story so far. This chapter came about as a direct result of all your encouragement (some reviews seemed almost threatening which pushed me to make this even longer than normal).

So thank you all and here is the next instalment. Enjoy.

**Chapter 8 – Taking Action**

"I'm sorry Boss. I didn't think that things would turn out like this."

Woo Bin sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's okay Won. None of us were expecting that. Just lie down and let the doctor treat you."

Won nodded anxiously and rested his head back on the hospital bed. Woo Bin stepped back and let the doctor attend one of his men. When he had sent Won and his crew out for the evening, he had not expected to be called to the hospital emergency room at one in the morning to deal with a stabbing.

"What happened?" He asked Won's partner softly. "Who did it?"

Jung Ma ran his fingers through his hair agitatedly before answering. "That punk, Kwang Sik. He didn't have the money with him when we went to collect it. I think he gambled his pay away last night. Since this was the third month that he hasn't paid, we decided to rough him up a bit but he was ready for us. When Won moved in, he pulled out a knife and stabbed him. He pushed Won onto me and then took off like a rabbit."

"He got away?" The question alone conveyed Woo Bin's anger.

Jung Ma hung his head down in shame. "I'm sorry Boss. I know I should have gone after him, but there was so much blood. I just wanted to make sure that Won was okay."

Woo Bin slapped him on the back. "No, you did well. And as for that punk…" He cracked his knuckles threateningly. "No one hurts my men and gets away with it. We will deal with him."

Glancing over once more at Won to make sure that he was co-operating with the doctors, Woo Bin was just about to head home when a commotion at the bed nearest the emergency room door caught his attention.

A middle aged couple hovered anxiously, while a nurse examined the figure lying limply on the bed. This wasn't what had drawn his notice rather it was the name that the woman had cried out that caught had his attention.

"Ga Eul, will you roll over a bit so the nurse can see your head?"

While he knew that the chances of the patient being the Ga Eul that he knew were slim, Woo Bin couldn't stop himself from walking over to check anyway. As he stepped towards the bed, the girl on the bed shifted position and he caught sight of her face.

"Ga Eul shi."

Ga Eul looked up at the sound of her name to meet Woo Bin's shocked stare. "Woo Bin Sunbae." She grimaced as the nurse touch the back of her head.

"Yo." Woo Bin said, drawing the attention of her parents onto him.

"This is Woo Bin Sunbae." Ga Eul said to her parents. "He's one of Jan Di's friends."

"It's nice to meet ya." Woo Bin said with a slight bow. He took in Ga Eul's pale white face and the pain in her eyes. "What happened?" He asked her seriously.

"She was attacked by a mugger on the way home from work this evening." Her father answered for her. He glanced over at his wife. "I want to go and report this to the police. The man who hurt my baby girl needs to pay." His face darkened in anger momentarily before it shifted to a look of concern. "Will you be okay by yourselves?" He asked in a softer voice. "You'll let me know what the diagnosis is?"

Ga Eul's mother nodded. "Of course."

"Appa wait." Ga Eul said quickly. "He said that I couldn't tell the police about him. He said…" her voice trailed off into a frightened whisper. "He said that he knows where I live. I think he will attack me again if you do."

"Nonsense." Ga Eul's father said shortly. "It's just a scare tactic to keep you from reporting him." He patted Ga Eul's arm reassuringly. "The police will catch him before he even gets the chance to find you again. I'll come back here as soon as I am done."

Woo Bin watched Ga Eul's father leave before turning back to Ga Eul with a frown on his face. "Where were you hurt?"

"A couple blocks from my house. It's not far from the congee shop."

Rolling his eyes at her answer, he said. "I meant, where are you physically hurt?"

"Oh. Just my head." She turned her head and raised her hand that had been resting against the back of her head, revealing the hair matted with blood underneath it. "He… the mugger… pushed me into a wall and I hit my head off something."

"Why hasn't the doctor seen to that yet?" He asked, anger deepening his voice.

The words had barely left his mouth when a doctor and another nurse entered the emergency room and headed towards Ga Eul. They both conferred with the nurse who had been tending her for a few minutes before turning to Ga Eul and her mother.

"Excuse me ma'am." The nurse said addressing Ga Eul's mother. "Are you this patient's guardian?"

"I am, yes. Is there some sort of problem?" Her voice took on a slightly higher pitch, brought about by the worry of the evening.

"No, not at all." The nurse hastened to assure her. "There is just some paperwork that you need to complete for your medical aid."

Woo Bin saw the hesitation in Ga Eul's mother's eyes as she looked at Ga Eul, clearly torn between staying with Ga Eul and sorting out necessary paperwork. "I'll stay with her while you are busy." He offered. "I'll make sure that they treat her right."

"Thank you so much." Ga Eul's mother said, before reaching out to gently squeeze her daughter's hand in reassurance. "I'll see you in a bit." She said, as she turned to follow the nurse out.

Woo Bin crossed his arms and watch the doctor examine Ga Eul. He felt her pulse, and checked her pupils' ability to dilate before asking her to sit up to examine her head wound. After gently probing her head, the doctor made his diagnosis.

"You have a mild concussion so you will need to stay here for the rest of the night for observation." He said gently. "You are also going to need three stitches on the back of your head." He paused as if weighing his words. "I'm also going to need to shave your head."

"What!"

Woo Bin winced at the screech that Ga Eul produced.

"Not all of it." The doctor hastened to reassure her, raising his hands to defend himself. "Just a small patch around the wound. Luckily your hair is quite thick and it will hide the shaved spot."

Ga Eul swallowed nervously. "Do you have to shave my head? Can't you just… I dunno… Do something else?" She said hopefully.

"I'm afraid not. Your hair will get in the way and possibly infect your wound, which is the last thing we want." He smiled reassuringly at her as he set up the electric razor. "I have been told that I am very good with this."

She nodded stoically and shifted on the bed, to allow the doctor easier access to her head with the razor.

As soon as the doctor was done, she tentatively reach back to touch the bald spot on the back of her head. She was relieved to feel that the patch was relatively small and that her long hair would be able to hide it. She looked sheepishly up at Woo Bin, and shrugged. "A girl is entitled to her vanity."

Woo Bin chuckled. The women that he usually spent time with would not have been so calm about having a patch of her hair shaved off. They would have likely fainted at the doctor's suggestion. He was beginning to see what intrigued Yi Jeong so much. She really wasn't like other girls.

"I'm going to put in the stitches now." The doctor said. "Would you prefer to lie down or sit while I put them in?"

"Um, I think I want to lie down. I don't think I could stay upright for that."

As Ga Eul lay down again, Woo Bin noticed that her hands had begun to shake. "Should she be doin' that?" He asked, drawing the doctor's attention to her hands.

"I'm just scared." Ga Eul said before the doctor could say anything. She fisted her hands together to stop the trembling.

Woo Bin frowned. "Scared of what?" He looked around quickly. "Is he here? Your attacker, is he here?" He cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders to loosen himself up. "Just point him out to me and I'll sort him out right now." His voice had taken on a decidedly nasty tone, reminding Ga Eul just how dangerous Woo Bin was.

She gave a shaky laugh, surprised by the intensity in his voice. "He's not here. It's the needles that I'm scared of."

"Oh." He shuffled uncomfortably.

"I know it's silly but I can't help it."

"Just relax." The doctor said behind her as he picked up a syringe. "I'll give you something to numb the pain and you won't feel a thing."

She nodded faintly as the doctor started. Despite the doctor's reassurances, Ga Eul grew increasingly pale and her breathing became shallow as the doctor waited for the anaesthetic to take effect.

Woo Bin knew that the longer that she thought about it, the more anxious she would become. "Don't worry Ga Eul ssi," he said, hoping to distract her. "I'll kiss it better for ya."

Her eyes widened and she stopped breathing for a moment. "You're not serious." She finally managed to say after a moment of shock.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the doctor giving him a faint smile as he realised what Woo Bin was doing.

"In fact, I don't think I'll stop there." Woo Bin said, his voice taking on a definite husky timbre. "I'll place kisses here," he reached out and gently touched the back of her ear with his warm fingertips, "and here," his fingers trailed across her cheek, "and eventually, when you think you can't handle it anymore, I'll finally kiss your soft, beautiful lips." He reached out as if to touch her lips, but stopped just before he made contact.

At this point, any hint of paleness had fled Ga Eul's face to be replaced with a pink hue. Woo Bin was pretty sure that she had stopped breathing altogether as she started up at him as though mesmerised. Enjoying the effect that he had on her, he continued. "When I eventually reach your lips, I'll kiss you until you can't feel anything but the heat between us."

The sound of a throat being cleared prevented him from continuing, and he looked up to see the reproving look on the doctor's face. Woo Bin looked at the doctor for a moment, before glancing the needle in his hand and then Ga Eul, subtly telling the doctor to get on with the stitches and mind his own business.

He looked down at the injured girl in front of him and realised that the spell that he had created over her had been broken. He sighed.

"But I don't think that you'd want me to be kissing you, do ya?" He said dramatically catching Ga Eul once more by surprise. Not waiting to hear her agreement which would be a blow to his masculinity, he continued. "If it wasn't for the fact that Yi Jeong would probably find out and get more upset than he has been for the last three weeks, I _would _be promising to kiss you better."

Ga Eul suddenly managed to find her voice now that some of the F4's infamous Don Juan's charm had begun to dissipate. "Is he okay? Did something else happen to his mom?"

"You know about 'that'?" He asked, surprised.

"I was with him when he found out." She said softly.

Woo Bin was silent for a moment as a few of the stranger things Yi Jeong had said and done clicked into place. "His mother is actually doing better." He said remembering her earlier question.

"Then what's upset Yi Jeong? Did something happen to him?"

"In my opinion, losing you has what has upset him for the past three weeks."

"He told you about that?"

"Kinda. He wasn't very clear about what happened exactly, but he was clear about one thing though." He leaned forward as though he was about to impart a great secret, and whispered "He said that ended it because he didn't want to hurt you."

Ga Eul closed her eyes for a long moment as she processed what Woo Bin had just told her. Not once in the last three weeks had she considered Yi Jeong's absence as a result of his desire to protect her. She has simply thought he had been ashamed because of something that happened at the hospital. So who or what was he protecting her from? Someone else? Another _chaebol _who had seen Yi Jeong with her and gotten jealous? From what she has seen of Jan Di and Jun Pyo's relationship it was certainly possible.

"All done." The doctor said cheerfully, interrupting GA Eul's confusing thoughts. "You did rather well for someone who claims to be scared of needles. Now if you would just sit up so I can put a bandage on you."

"You're done?" She asked, clearly surprised. "I didn't even feel it."

The doctor just smiled as Woo Bin helped her sit up.

Ga Eul was barely aware of the doctor wrapping her head with bandages as her thoughts drifted back to the conundrum better known Yi Jeong. Was he possibly trying to protect her from himself? And if so why? Surely if he didn't want to hurt her, it would be as simple as just not hurting her.

The doctor finished up quickly and gave Ga Eul a few instructions for keeping her wound clean and ended by informing her when she needed to come back to remove the stitches. The doctor headed off to make sure that Ga Eul would be allocated a ward for what remained of the night and to repeat his instructions to her mother, leaving Woo Bin and Ga Eul alone.

"So, about my earlier offer." Woo began as he stepped closer to Ga Eul.

"Which one?" She stuttered uncertainly.

He rolled his eyes. "The offer to kiss you better of course."

"You don't need to Sunbae. I am all fixed now." She hastened to reassure him.

"Are ya sure?"

She nodded.

"Well in that case," he stepped back and folded his arm across his chest. "I'd like ya to tell me as much as you can about the punk that attacked you and what he took from you. With my connections I will probably be able to him before the police do." Seeing the doubtful look on her face, he hastily added, "Don't worry, we won't kill him. Just rough him up a bit and deliver him to the police, trusted up like the pig he is."

Ga Eul giggled. "You're a City Hunter fan I see?"

Woo Bin shrugged. "A guy needs a role model so it may as well be someone cool." He turned, as though suddenly remembering where he was. "Hey, you two, Hak Kyu, Jae In, come here quickly."

The two gangsters moved away from Won's bed and strode over to Woo Bin. "What can we do for you, Boss?" They asked, looking at Ga Eul and Woo Bin curiously.

"I want you to listen to everything that she says and then you are going to go out and find the idiot that attacked her. Men do not do this to women and get away with it. When you find him, contact me. I am going to teach him a few lessons that his parents failed to give him."

The two nodded and turned to Ga Eul expectantly.

"Well, I suppose I should start at the beginning…" Ga Eul began, somehow comforted by Woo Bin and his gang.

* * *

Yi Jeong looked up from his TV game as Woo Bin came into the F4 lounge.

"It's about time you got here." Jun Pyo stated, clearly unimpressed.

Woo Bin just looked at Jun Pyo, used to his antics and said nothing. Nodding a greeting to Ji Hoo who was strumming his guitar softly on the couch, Woo Bin flopped down next to Yi Jeong.

"Hey man." He said, offered his hand in a fist for Yi Jeong to 'pump'.

Yi Jeong returned the gesture before focusing on his game again.

"Are you okay?" Ji Hoo asked Woo Bin who had sprawled himself across his half of the couch.

"Yeah. Just tired, the weekend was a little rough though." He closed his eyes momentarily as though gathering energy. "My boys got into all sorts of trouble. I spent Friday night and morning at the hospital, and then had to deal with turf fights in one of our new areas on Saturday and Sunday morning. I didn't get to do half the thing I wanted to because of it. Oh by the way" He nudged Yi Jeong in the gut, to get his attention. "I saw your girl on Friday."

"My girl?" Yi Jeong said, nonplussed. He frowned trying to figure out who Woo Bin was talking about.

"Ga Eul ssi."

"She's not my girl." Yi Jeong bit out brusquely. "I told you that." He grimaced but kept his attention on the TV.

"Damn," Woo Bin snapped his fingers regretfully. "I knew I shoulda kissed her when I had the chance. I had the perfect excuse an' everything."

"Excuse me?" Veiled aggression underlined the question in Yi Jeong's tone as he paused his game and turned to Woo Bin, finally giving him his full attention.

"Yeah. She was lying on the hospital bed, wounded and scared and I offered to kiss away her pain." Woo Bin said, as though having a fond memory.

"What happened to her?" Yi Jeong asked slowly, his hands tightening on the controller in his hand.

"Well, nothing obviously. I already said that I didn't kiss her. Much to my everlasting regret." He closed his eyes and smiled to himself before turning to Yi Jeong. "She must have the most kissable lips that I've seen in a long time."

Yi Jeong dropped the game controlled and was about to launch himself at the gangster, when Ji Hoo leapt up and shoved him back down onto the couch by his shoulders. Woo Bi relaxed slightly in his seat as the potential for physical conflict decreased. He had looked calm and relaxed the whole time, and it was only when Yi Jeong was about to make his move that it became clear just how poised for action he had been.

"Woo Bin, stop being obtuse and just answer Yi Jeong's question before he tries to kill you." Ji Hoo shook Yi Jeong slightly, "which we don't want, right?"

Yi Jeong ground his teeth together and said nothing.

"_Okay. Okay_." Woo Bin said in English as he held up his hands in mock surrender. "One of my men was stabbed on Friday night and while I was at the hospital ER I saw Ga Eul ssi. She was attacked by a mugger and was hurt during the confrontation."

"Is she alright?" Ji Hoo asked quickly as he felt Yi Jeong's shoulders tense up.

He nodded slowly. "For the most part, a little shaken up by the whole thing and let's face it most people would be. She had to get a couple stitches on the back of her head though." He shook his head in disbelief. "You guys should have seen her. The doctor had to shave a patch of hair off her head for the stitches and she took it like a soldier. No screaming, no hysterics. I've never seen a woman be so calm about a potentially damaging hair-do before."

"These commoners are something else entirely." Jun Pyo said hoarsely, his hand wrapped tightly in his own dark curls.

"So ultimately she's the reason why my weekend was so rough. She's kept me up late for the last three days. 'Cause I've been looking for the dirtbag that attacked her." He added hastily when Yi Jeong glared at him.

"Have you found him yet?" Ji Hoo asked as he let go of Yi Jeong.

"Not yet. And the police haven't had any luck either which is a little worrying."

"Why?" Jun Pyo asked. "Are you scared the police are going to find him first?"

"They aren't an issue." He leaned forward and rested elbows on his knees. "I'm actually worried about Yi Jeong's girl. Yes, yes, I know you say she's not your girl." He added quickly as Yi Jeong opened his mouth. "The mugger said that he would go after Ga Eul if she reported him."

"Surely that's just a bluff?" Jun Pyo shrugged. "Its how you keep your victims quite, right?"

Woo Bin shrugged. Her parents think the same thing, but I'd rather deal with him before he gets the chance to try anything. Just in case he wasn't bluffing."

Yi Jeong glanced at his watch and stood up abruptly. "I've got to go. I'll see you guys later." He stepped towards the door before pausing and turning towards Woo Bin. "Will you tell me when you catch the guy?"

Woo Bin nodded. "As soon as I have his scaly hide I will let you know."

"Thanks."

The three members of the F4 watched the potter disappear from the lounge.

"I don't get it." Jun Pyo said, looking at the clock across from him. "Where is he going? It's only twenty to four."

Woo Bin spread himself out across the now vacant couch and reached for the controller on the floor. "Exactly."

Ji Hoo smiled. "School ends at four. He's gone to pick her up."

"Who?" Jun Pyo growled, getting frustrated.

"Ga Eul ssi of course."

"But I thought that he said she wasn't his girl."

Woo Bin chuckled as he started Yi Jeong's paused game. "That's what he says."

* * *

Ga Eul slung her heavy backpack over her shoulder and tucked her textbooks that she had just taken from her locker, under her arm. Taking a deep breath to steady herself she headed out of the school buildings and towards the school gates.

Despite the doctor's orders that she stay at home, she had decided to goin to school and was now paying the price for her dedication. Her head had started pounding in the last period of the day as her pain tablets had worn off and the pain was intensifying.

As a result of her aching head, she had hung back when her classmates had rushed off home in order to avoid the rush.

Which made the amount of people hanging around the school gates rather surprising.

Ga Eul slowed down as she approached the congested exit, looking for signs of trouble. Usually a crowd of this size meant that there was a fight about to happen. However, while the crowd was making some noise, it was one that seemed filled with excitement and curiosity rather than potential violence.

As she weaved her way through the crowd, who appeared to be stuck at the gate, she caught snippets of the conversations around her.

"Did you see the mags on the thing?"

"That's the latest Lotus Exige out. They don't come cheap that's for sure."

"I wonder who he's waiting for?"

"Look he is just over there."

The last statement came with a gesture and Ga Eul looked up, following the raised arm to see who was causing all the fuss that was preventing her from getting home to her bed.

Leaning against his bright orange sports car with his legs crossed at his ankles, completely uninterested in the uproar he had created, was none other than So Yi Jeong.

Ga Eul squeezed her way through the last line of onlookers, just as he glanced her way, spotting her immediately.

He smiled one of his heart stopping grins and with cat-like grace; he uncrossed his legs and strode towards her.

Ga Eul was barely aware of the gasping of the girls behind her. Instead her brain spluttered that he _had to _show up on a day when she looked like revived mummy with a stark white bandage wrapped around her head.

Before she could wipe the stunned expression off her face, he was standing in front of her, a faint smile dancing around his lips.

"Hey." Yi Jeong said softly.

"Um, hi." Ga Eul said, shifting her books awkwardly in her arms, as they threatened to slip from her loose grip.

"Let me take those for you." He said noticing her struggle.

Ga Eul had barely opened her mouth to protest, when he plucked the books out of her arms, slipped off her school back and swung it over his shoulder, completely unperturbed that he was rumpling his designer suit.

"Thanks." Ga Eul said, grateful for the gesture. She frowned at him for a moment, before blurting out the all-important question. "Why are you here?"

He slipped an arm around her waist, leaned down towards her and smiled. "I'm here to take you home, of course."


	9. Chapter 9 Confrontations

**Chapter Nine**

**Confrontations**

**Author's Note:**I am not going to deny that this was a very emotional chapter for me. I felt very emotional at the end of it. I do need to thank a few people though, since without them, this chapter would still be in its draft stage.

First off, a deep and heartfelt thank you to everyone who reviewed or favourited this chapter. Every time I got a review, I would try and write a little more of the chapter. Next thank you to Peepssangtae who helped me through my writers block and helped me write this chapter.

Lastly, thank you to Nisha, Lolly and my mom, who had draft after draft sent to them to read and comment on. Your support got me through this.

"I'm here to take you home, of course."

Yi Jeong's casually spoken words rang in her ears as he gently began guiding her towards his car.

Ga Eul stared up at him blankly, as he pulled her along, her aching brain trying to make sense of his renewed interest in her. After nearly a month of avoidance, he was now attempting to behave as though none of that ever happened.

Half aware of her classmates around her, she paused, forcing him to stop. Looking up at him, she repeated her question. "Why are you _really _here? Why now?"

Ga Eul watched as his eyes flickered to the bandage wrapped around her head. Suddenly his reappearance wasn't quite so strange.

"Listen, I don't know who told you about my accident but I don't need your help." She stepped aside, trying to remove his arm from her waist. "I'll be fine on my own, I don't need you to play hero again."

Smoothly as though she hadn't just tried to brush him off, he released her waist and reached for her hand. "It was Woo Bin who told me." He tightened his hold on her hand when she tried to jerk it away. He stepped up closer to her and said softly. "He also said that the man who did this to you is still out there."

Ga Eul froze, suddenly nervous. "The police think that it was just a scare tactic." The words sounded hollow to her ears but she could not stop them from continuing. "He's probably long gone by now."

"Are you really going to take that risk? What if he is just around the next corner waiting for you?"

He watched her swallow heavily and hated the fact that he was deliberately scaring her, but she needed to be realistic. While Seoul was a relatively safe city, things like this still happened and it was stupid to think that she would be safe, when a criminal had already threatened her. When she made no sign of responding to his questions, he pulled her gently towards his car and opened the door for her. "I'll make sure that you get home safely. You'll be safe with me."

As Ga Eul slide numbly into the front seat, she became aware of increasing noise level around her as her school-mates broke out into excited speculation about her relationship with Yi Jeong. Her face heated in embarrassment. as she imagined what they were saying about her. Belatedly she bent her head and placed a hand over her eyes as though she could make them disappear by simply denying their existence.

A soft touch on her shoulder jolted her back to Yi Jeong's presence.

"Are you okay?"

Ga Eul opened her mouth to respond with a biting retort, when she caught sight of the look in his eyes, the words got stuck in her throat. Yi Jeong, the notorious playboy of the F4, actually looked genuinely concerned about her welfare. Deciding that it would be impossible to explain the predicament that he had inadvertently created with his arrival at her school, she shook her head and went with an easier response. "It's just a headache."

Yi Jeong clenched his jaw in anger as he started his car. "That man deserves to die a slow and painful death for hitting a woman."

"He didn't actually hit me, you know."

His eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Are you actually defending him?"

"I'm not. I just said that he didn't hit me. He pushed me back and I hit my head on a wall."

"And your point is?" His voice was dry and unimpressed. "Should I be grateful then, that what happened to you was only an accident? That maybe he's actually a nice guy who didn't mean to hurt you?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it. Why are you being like this?" She snapped, her headache and irritation growing. "Are you still angry with me from that night at the hospital?"

"No. Why would you bring that up now?" He asked, surprised by her animosity.

"When was I supposed to bring it up? The next day? Two weeks ago? I haven't seen you for the last month so when was I supposed to ask you about it exactly?"

Yi Jeong glanced at her, before looking back to the road in front of him. "I've been busy."

"Of course." She sat back and folded her arms across her chest. "So you weren't avoiding me at all?" The skepticism was thick on her voice.

Yi Jeong shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Settling for a half-truth he said "I wasn't really avoiding you. I just didn't know how to explain my actions that night. They aren't something that I'm proud of."

"I didn't need an explanation for your actions that night." Trying to conceal her hurt, Ga Eu stared resolutely forward, refusing to make eye contact with him, even briefly. "I know that we have gone over this before and that I am not..." She swallowed hard. "I'm not in your league, but I thought that you could at least see me as a friend. One who could offer you some kind of support when you needed it."

It was sad that though he had kissed her once, his kisses meant more to her than they did to him. When he kissed her, he was reaffirming his playboy status by proving that he could. At least that was what her hurt heart told her.

Yi Jeong glanced over at her, taking note of her blank face. How could he tell her that he did see her as a friend, and most days, when he was with her, he saw her as something more. And it was that something more that had kept him away from her.

She groaned as the car took a turn and the late afternoon sun blinded her. The sudden glare intensified her headache and she shut her eyes tightly in agony. A hiss of pain escaped her lips before she could stop it.

"Is it your head again?" He asked, leaping for the less awkward topic.

She nodded, turning her head away from the window, towards him. "The light makes it worse."

YI Jeong muttered something under his breath and fiddled with the radio. A few seconds later a soft soothing melody engulfed the car. "Just lie back and relax. Don't open your eyes."

Ga Eul closed her eyes and tried to focus on the blackness of her eyelids and the music. However all this did was make her all the more sensitive to the man beside her. She could smell the cologne that he wore and could hear the faint rustle of his clothing as he drove. His reappearance in her life just complicated matters, that she was beginning to believe she had solved.

In no time at all, they had arrived outside her family's apartment. Feeling slightly better, Ga Eul climbed out of the car. Yi Jeong followed closely behind her, her textbooks in his arms and school bag slung over his shoulder.

She reached for them. "Thank you Sunbae, I can take it from here."

Yi Jeong surprised her by sidestepping her and heading toward the apartment block's entrance. "I told you that I would get you home safely and that's what I am going to do."

Ga Eul hurried after him and fell into step with him, her eyes darting around anxiously. "Do you think that the police will be able to catch him?" She asked softly, the trepidation evident in her voice.

"I have more confidence in Woo Bin and his men than the boys in blue." He reached out and clasped her cold hand in his briefly. "They will catch him before he tries anything with you." He grinned. "You have the F4 on your side. There is nothing that we can't do if we put our minds to it."

She couldn't help but smile at his words. Having seen him and Woo Bin in action, she felt a lot better believing that the man who mugged her would soon be apprehended.

When they reached Ga Eul's door, Yi Jeong waited for her to open the door before handing her her belongings. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You don't have - "

He cut her off. "I know I don't have to, but I'll feel better if I did."

"I'm a grown woman, Sunbae. I can handle a trip home by myself in broad daylight."

His eyes flickered down her body before rising again. "I know, but," his eyes rested on her head briefly, "until your head is healed and that punk is off the streets, I'd rather play it safe."

Reaching out he stroked her cheek softly, before turning and disappearing down the stairs with a jaunty "I'll see you tomorrow Ga Eul-yang."

* * *

When Ga Eul left her apartment building the next morning, she was surprised to see Yi Jeong's car parked outside in the street. Upon seeing her emerge from the building, he climbed out of the car, took her bags from her and opened the passenger door.

She frowned. "I thought that you were only going to be picking me up from school?"

"I never said that. You assumed. What's in this anyway?" He held up her bugling kit bag.

"Supplies for this weekend's school festival." She frowned when he nodded towards the open door, indicating that she should get in. "I can manage by myself."

He rolled his eyes at her stubbornness. "Just get in."

Sighing, but used to his heavy handedness, Ga Eul climbed into the car. She only had to wait a few seconds before he was in the car and pulling into traffic.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Yi Jeong asked.

"Better now that I have some pain medication in my system and more in my bag just in case it gets bad again." She laughed nervously. "I sound like a druggie."

He chuckled. "I think if you were one, you wouldn't be advertising the fact that you have pills in your bag. Besides, your stitches justify them."

"I guess. I just wish that I didn't have to wear these stupid bandages." She touched them lightly and pulled a face. "Although, one good thing has come of them."

"You have gotten out of having to do physical training?" He guessed as he maneuvered the car through the light traffic.

"Almost. I don't have to dance at the school festival." When she saw him frown in confusion, she explained. "My class is doing two activities this year, one on stage and the other in the class. We were all supposed to perform a dance for the school and I am hopeless at dancing."

He snorted. "I find that hard to believe."

"Oh but I am." She was quick to reassure him. "No matter how much I try I can't seem to follow along with the group." She sent him a wry smile. "In fact, I think some of my classmates are glad that I can't participate - they won't get taken out by my poor co-ordination in front of the whole school."

"So what are you going to do now that your chance to shine on stage has been destroyed?"

"I will be working in the fortune telling booth." She threw him a grin. "Apparently I get to wear a turban to hide my bandages." She put on a slight accent and lowered her voice mysteriously. "Let Madame Gisele tell you your future. Just give me your hand and know your fate."

Yi Jeong chuckled and thrust his hand in her direction. "Your accent needs a little more work but go ahead."

Surprised by his actions, since she had been joking with him, Ga Eul took his hand in hers. Gently she ran her fingers over his knuckles before turning his hand over so she could "read" his palm. She ran her fingers along the lines of his hands, watching how his fingers twitched ever so slightly in response. His hand was warm, firm and smooth, no doubt a product of his pottery.

"Well?" He prompted when she failed to say anything.

"Um, you do realise that I am not actually a palm reader?"

"You're not?" He tutted. "And here I had my hopes up that my future would suddenly become clear."

She rolled her eyes and giggled, still holding his hand. "I plan do some research before the festival. If you want a proper reading you'll have to come to the festival, while I am channeling school's spirit."

Suddenly, holding his hand seemed awkward but as she was about to let go, he twisted his hand and held hers in his. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles, before bringing her hand to his lips. "I look forward to it."

Ga Eul's throat went dry as he touched his lips to the back of her hand. The warmth of his mouth left a tingling impression as he released her hand.

"D-don't do that." Ga Eul stuttered, pulling her hand back sharply. Rubbing her knuckles, with her other hand, she was painfully conscious of her heart fluttering wildly against her ribs. His unexpected action set her nerves on edge and made her feel giddy.

"I'm sorry." He murmured his eyes downcast.

"No harm done." Ga Eul breathed. Her face burned with embarrassment. She pressed her fingertips to her cheeks to cool them down. "It's not like you meant it anyway."

Ga Eul hated the bitterness that had crept into her voice. She despised the fact that she had to deny that the brush of his lips sent shivers down her spine. It was getting harder and harder to remember that he was a playboy and that his actions towards her meant nothing to him. She had humiliated herself once already by reading more into his actions and she refused to do it again. Not unless she got a sure sign from him that he was serious.

After a long moment of silence, Yi Jeong said awkwardly, "So Madame Giselle, how are you going to go about training for your palm reading booth?"

"Well," she began, twisting her hands together self-consciously, "I was thinking of reading some books or looking it up on the net. I'm not actually sure where else to look," she admitted. "Maybe that knock on my head will have opened up my third eye and I will be able to make accurate predictions." She shrugged. "Something good may as well come from this wretched experience."

Yi Jeong winced as she inadvertently referred to his return to her life as being an unpleasant side effect to her injury. "Surely it can't be all that bad?" He said, hoping that she would notice her slur.

She threw him a look and snorted in disbelief. "You try having your wallet and cell phone stolen, and a bald spot shaved into your hair, and see if you feel positive about the whole thing. And if that wasn't enough, there is also the possibility that the mugger will come after me because my father reported the incident to the police."

The car pulled to a stop outside Ga Eul's high school, bringing Ga Eul's attention to yet another problem that her injury had created. "Oh, and thanks to your visit yesterday, I am going to be the talk of the school. Like the bandages weren't bad enough. If only something bigger could happen and take the attention off me."

Yi Jeong chuckle had a guilty edge to it. "You might need a miracle for that."

They climbed out of the car, and Yi Jeong handed Ga Eul her textbooks and bags. Accepting them, she sighed as she watched the furtive glances that her peers were shooting her way as they slowed down to watch as they headed towards the school gates.

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, bracing herself for what was coming. When she opened her eyes she was surprised to find Yi Jeong standing very close to her. "Don't worry about what people think," he said, as he brushed her hair behind her ear. "Who are they to us anyway?"

Ga Eul stepped back, out of his reach. "But what am I to you?" She asked softly, before she stepped past him and disappeared through the gates.

Yi Jeong stared after her disappearing figure and wondered just how he was supposed to answer a question like that.

* * *

"Ga Eul-yang!" Yi Jeong called out, the moment he saw her. "How was your day?"

GaEul looked up, her expression glum. She clutched her bag close to her chest and stared at him for a long moment.

He stood, leaning against yet another sports car. This time his car was the slightly less flashy, but still classy Hyundai Veloster in a dark electric blue. A cool pair of shades sat upon his aristocratic nose, framing his face and hiding his piercing eyes. The Armani jacket was missing, no doubt due to the rising summer heat but the waistcoat remained, showing off his sculpted body. It highlighted his broad shoulders and lean waist drawing many an eye from the passing school girls.

Rooted to the ground, GaEul stared at him for a long moment, then promptly turned to the right and continued walking home, as though Yi Jeong and his car were just figments of her imagination.

"Hey, Ga Eul-yang! Where are you going?"

Ga Eul kept her head low and continued walking, though now a little faster. She was determined not to look back. She was determined not to crack, not to lose any hope of even remaining as his friend. It was getting harder and harder to remain content with friendship, when her heart kept longing for more.

The entire day had just been one reminder after another that she was being stupid by wishing for more between them. Every time someone had asked her about her relationship with the "handsome _chaebol _who picked her up yesterday", she had died a little on the inside. She longed to be able to say that he was hers, but all she had uttered over and over again was: "He's just a friend."

To make matters worse, she had not been able to concentrate the entire day. She was pretty sure that she had missed important information for her upcoming finals but despite her best efforts she had not taken in a single thing. Her classes passed in a numbed blur as her emotions alternated between confusion and fear.

Yi Jeong's conflicting reactions towards her, gnawed on her mind. She knew she couldn't really trust a player like him but sometimes his actions felt like the real thing to her. When she did manage to stem her thoughts of him, her mind settled on the fact that there was the possibility that her mugger would come after her again. The idea that he was out there, waiting for her, following her to her home had her anxiously looking over her shoulder, even in the safety of the classroom.

The only thing that had been able to stem the panic that had threatened to overwhelm her was the fact that Yi Jeong would be waiting for her, but that just started the cycle of confusion all over again.

By the time school ended, she felt worn out and jittery.

When she had walked out of school, she had seen him and her mind had immediately jumped to the question that she had asked him earlier that morning. While it had seemed like a good parting shot at the time, she was terrified of the answer. She had decided that living in limbo was better than knowing that he didn't want her, that he was only toying with her.

She lengthened her strides, determined to get away from him.

"Hey." Yi Jeong gasped, grabbing hold of her wrist and stopping her. She could feel his heavy breath upon the back of her neck as he panted from his short sprint.

"Don't touch me."

She tugged her arm away and continued walking. Yi Jeong stood rooted, startled for a second, then brought himself to face her and jogged backwards as she continued to walk and evade him.

"Ga Eul, what's wrong?" Yi Jeong asked, concerned. "Is it your head? Has it been bothering you? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"Don't talk to me, Sunbae. I just need a little alone time today," Ga Eul mumbled, her voice quivering as she tried not to let her tears betray her.

"Ga Eul, are you avoiding me?"

"I told you, I just want to be alone."

He stopped in front of her and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stop and look at him. "I am not letting you walk home by yourself. Not with that psycho on the loose. Now why don't you get in the car and let me take you home." His voice was low and concerned. "I swear I won't talk to you the whole way home, if that's what you want."

"Fine." Without warning she spun around and headed back to the car, leaving him to catch up.

Yi Jeong got to the car, just in time to open the door and allow her to sling her bags into the backseat.

He looked at her as he climbed into the driver's seat next to her, taking in the grim expression on her face and decided it was safer for him not to say anything to her until she had relaxed a bit.

Most of the trip home was spent in tense silence, with Yi Jeong sneaking glances at Ga Eul as he tried to figure out her reaction to him. While he knew that he had pushed his luck with her a little that morning, he hadn't been able to help himself. When she had traced the lines on his hands, he had only wanted to draw her into his arms and kiss her. Since he had been driving, he had settled with a kiss on her soft hand instead.

He eventually concluded that it was partly his fault that she behaving like this, though he had a suspicion that the stress of her situation also contributed to her erratic behaviour.

It was only when they had pulled to a stop outside her apartment building that she relaxed. Taking a chance, Yi Jeong turned to her. "Are you okay?" He ventured softly.

She nodded stiffly and climbed out of the car.

He got out of the car, and went after her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie to me. Something's wrong. Tell me what's upsetting you."

"What's it to you?" She snapped back.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know why you ask, since it's not like you care."

His hand shot out and grabbed her wrist again, forcing her to look at him. "Is this what this is about? You think I don't care for you."

She yanked her wrist from his hand. He was too close to the truth and she was afraid to goad him further. While she might believe that didn't care for her, she wasn't ready to hear him confirm it. "Just leave me alone."

She headed towards the stairs, aware that he was following her and determined to stay ahead of him, she pushed herself to climb as quickly as possible, taking two stairs at a time.

When she reached the landing she was out of breath, and Yi Jeong, thanks to his long legs was right beside her and still breathing normally, much to her dismay. She brushed past him and headed to her door, determined to get in and lock him out, but as soon as she had her keys in her hand, he snatched them out of her fingers.

"Give them back." She demanded, reaching for her keys.

He raised his hand above his head, keeping her keys out of reach. "Not until you explain something to me." He took a step closer towards her, crowding her against the door. "When did I ever give the impression that I don't care about you?"

"When you chased me away on Valentine's Day."

"That was a long time ago Ga Eul-yang." He said softly, leaning closer to her. "You are going to have to do better than that if you want me to believe you."

"Okay, how about this last month?" She said after a moment as she tried to process the change in Yi Jeong's behaviour. "If you cared, you wouldn't have disappeared for so long."

"We've been through that." He said. "I was busy. Besides I had to distance myself from you because I care for you." He paused when she started shaking her head. "When else have I given you the impression that I don't care for you?"

"Today. In the car." She forced out. "When you kissed my hand, you treated me like one of your conquests. I can't handle it anymore." The last part came out in a rush. "I am sick of not knowing where I stand with you anymore."

"Ga Eul-yang," He said quietly, "you need to understand something about me. I _never_ go back to a girl. I do not consider you a conquest. In fact it's the furthest thing from my mind. If I didn't care, I wouldn't be here trying to prove that I do."

Suddenly the look in his eyes was too much for Ga Eul to handle and she looked away over his shoulder, trying to avoid the burning intensity in his eyes. What she saw made her heart leap to her throat.

Yi Jeong watched her eyes dart away and then widen in fear. Her mouth moved but if sound escaped, it was too soft for him to hear. He leaned closer to her. "What did you say?" He said softly.

"It's him. He's over there." Ga Eul breathed.

Yi Jeong spun around just in time to see a man disappear down the stairs.

"Get inside and stay there until I come back." He ordered as he thrust her keys back into his hand and headed towards the stairs at a run.

Ga Eul's throat closed as fear ripped through her. Her keys jangled as her hands shook. It took her three tries before she managed to get the key into the lock and the door open. She flung herself through the door, slammed it shut and locked it. She leaned heavily against the door, just before her legs gave out. her breath coming out in short panicked gasps, as she slid to the floor.

While she had known that there was the possibility of her mugger returning for her, she hadn't been prepared for the fear that had swept through her. She was incredibly grateful that Yi Jeong had been with her, when he had reappeared.

Her lungs seized in fear at the thought of Yi Jeong going after the mugger. He had disappeared after him so quickly; she hadn't had a chance to warn him.

What if something happened to Yi Jeong because of her? Visions of Yi Jeong with a knife in his chest clouded her mind, and before long all she could hear was the sound of her panicked panting. What would she do if the mugger hurt Yi Jeong and came back for her?

She had just begun to frantically look for a weapon to use in case, when a knock at the door startled her. She reached for the first possible weapon she could see - her mother's floral umbrella - and forced herself to stand on shaking legs.

"Who is it?" She called, standing a good six feet away from the door, with the umbrella held like a sword in front of her.

The reply was muffled and inaudible through the thick door.

Ga Eul had to force herself to step closer. She rested her hand on the lock, ready to jam it if the mugger tried to force the lock. "Who is it?" She repeated.

"It's me. Yi Jeong."

Hurriedly, she unlocked the door and pulled it open, the umbrella still clutched tightly in one hand.

"What were you going to do with that?" He asked, smiling faintly at her. He took the umbrella from her, leaned it against the wall and stepped into the apartment.

Ga Eul's eyes swept over his body, looking for any sign that he might be injured. "Are you hurt?"

He shook his head.

"Thank goodness." She said, just before she flung her arms around him and promptly burst into relieved tears.

Yi Jeong froze for a moment, before wrapping his arms around her. Her body shook with sobs. "What's this? There's no need to cry." When she showed no sign of stopping, he slipped an arm under her knees and picked her up. He carried her through to the lounge and sat down with her on his lap.

"Shhh. It's okay now." He murmured, as he stroked her head. "We got him. He won't be bothering you again."

Struggling for control, Ga Eul's hand fisted against the material of his waistcoat. Taking a shaky breath she asked, "What happened?"

"We - "

"We?" she sniffled.

"One of Woo Bin's men and I. We cornered him on the first floor. Woo Bin's man saw him enter the building and came in to get him. Since I was chasing him down and Woo Bin's man was coming up, it was just a matter of cornering him and dealing with him." He flexed his right hand slightly. "He won't be coming after you again and Woo Bin will make sure that he is dealt with properly before they send him off to the police."

His hand moved down from her head to rub her back softly. "You're safe Ga Eul-yang." He felt her relax against him. "I'll keep you safe."

Ga Eul shifted slightly and looked up at him. Her tears had left trails down her face and her nose and eyes were red.

"This is why I say women shouldn't cry." Yi Jeong murmured as he wiped away her tears.

Ga Eul smiled faintly at his familiar words. "It makes us look ugly." She choked out and tried to look away.

He caught her chin, gently forcing her to look back at him. He shook his head slowly. "It makes our hearts weaken."

Slowly, he lowered his head towards her, giving her every chance to pull away from him if she wanted to.

Instead she allowed her eyelids to flutter to a close.

His lips brushed softly against hers. The kiss was completely different from their previous one. His lips were warm and soft against hers and there was something tender to it. Instead of overwhelming passion, this was a kiss between two people who really wanted to show their affection for one another.

Yi Jeong brushed his lips across hers, determined not to scare her, to let her set the pace. This kiss was what their first kiss should have been like, he thought, as he inhaled her sweet scent.

Wrapped in Yi Jeong's arms, Ga Eul had never felt so safe and cherished in her entire life.

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**Final Author's Note:** I really hope that you enjoyed this chapter. If you noticed any typos or grammar mistakes, please point them out to me so I can go back and edit. Your reviews are loved.


	10. Chapter 10 - The Best Man for you

Chapter 10 The Best Man For You

Ga Eul rested her head against Yi Jeong's chest, the sound of his heart thumping in her ears. She still couldn't believe everything that had happened to her this afternoon. The mugger had returned to exact his revenge for her reporting him to the police and if it hadn't been for Yi Jeong, the situation could have ended differently. She shuddered slightly, just thinking about it, even though she was safe from him.

Never in a million situations had she expected to end up in Yi Jeong's arms, especially after her negative reaction to him after school. She certainly hadn't expected him to tell her that he cared for her, let alone kiss her.

She was still reeling about that little revelation. However, while her heart delighted at this, she was still fearful that the kiss that they had shared hadn't meant the same to him as it did to her. It wasn't the first time that he had kissed her and told her that it had meant nothing to him.

As such, it was with a great deal of reluctance that Ga Eul broke the peaceful silence. "Um, Sunbae," she said, "what exactly does this make us? Are we now a couple?"

Almost immediately, Ga Eul felt Yi Jeong stiffen around her and she braced herself to be pushed off his lap. Instead, when she moved to lift her head from his chest to look at him, his hand rose and gently stroked her head, keeping her in place. "Do we really need to define it?" He asked softly. "Isn't it just enough to be together?"

Ga Eul wished that it could be enough, but she wasn't the type of girl to settle for vague assurances and the possibility of abandonment. She was a firm believer in soulmates and she could not settle for something like "friends with benefits". It wasn't something that her heart could commit to.

"I'd like to know where I stand..." she gestured between them, "in this relationship."

"Well at the moment," Yi Jeong said, "you don't stand any where." His arm tightened around her waist to demonstrate his point.

Frustrated with his attempt to change the topic, Ga Eul pushed away his arms and got off his lap. "There." She snapped as she stood in front of him with her arms on her hips. "Now I am standing in front of you. I want to know if that kiss we just shared means anything to you. I need to know what we are."

Yi Jeong shifted uncomfortably, before also rising to his feet. Agitated, he ran his hand through his hair. It went against every fibre of his being to be in any sort of committed relationship. The women that he usually spent his nights with, knew better than to harbour any romantic expectations around him. Naturally Ga Eul was just the opposite. Which, if he admitted the truth to himself, was why he was probably so attracted to her.

Knowing what she expected from a relationship, he was quick to say, "You know I'm not good boyfriend material. I'm not good for you."

"Have you actually ever been someone's boyfriend?" Ga Eul asked archly. "Have you ever wanted to try to be a good boyfriend?"

"No, not really." He admitted, avoiding eye contact.

"Then how can you say something like that?"

"Are you even listening to yourself?" He asked loudly. "Have you completely forgotten who you are dealing with? I am not known as a Casanova for nothing."

"You think that I don't know about your _stupid_ reputation?" Ga Eul snapped, getting frustrated. "I've seen you with two women on your arms. I've seen your Valentine's Day gifts. And if that wasn't enough Jan Di has told me all about your _playboy_ reputation. I am not the naive woman that you seem to think I am."

"But you expect me to be different, don't you?" Yi Jeong said softly. "A woman always expects the man to change."

That brought Ga Eul up short.

Taking advantage of her silence, Yi Jeong continued. "People like me don't deserve true love. I'll only end up hurting you."

"Are you planning to hurt me?" Ga Eul asked slowly, trying to digest what he was saying.

"No, but I..."

Ga Eul cut him off. "But nothing. No relationship is perfect. We will probably end up hurting each other accidentally, but you can't use something like that as an excuse. If you aren't willing to take a risk, then all you end up with is vague, meaningless relationships." She took a deep breath and brushed her hair away from her face, "I'm not asking you to marry me, but I do expect some commitment from you."

"You don't understand." He said, interrupting her. "Hurting you is inevitable. It's in my blood."

"You have an STD?" She stated flatly, her eyebrows threatening to disappear into her hair.

"Of course not!" He said, horrified at her assumption.

"Then what do you _mean?"_ She asked, exasperated. "What does your blood have to do with anything?"

Turning away from her, Yi Jeong paced restlessly towards the window. Staring through the window, with the sun setting behind him, he said, "You saw what happened to my mother at the hospital. My father can't be faithful to my mother, or any other woman for that matter. I think he tried in the beginning, but he couldn't do it." He swallowed hard, catching sight of his reflection in the window. "I'm just like my father. When I look at myself, all I can see is the similarities. I don't want to hurt you, the way my father hurt my mother."

Ga Eul was quiet for a long moment, before she walked over to him. "You know what, Sunbae? I think the very fact that you don't want to be like your father, means that you won't be."

"But my father - " Yi Jeong began.

"Isn't you!" Ga Eul finished. "You are your own person and you can't let someone else's actions dictate yours." Taking a deep breath, she reached out and took his hand in hers. "You know that I like you, but I can't - no - I won't force you to decide now. Please just think about us, not your father. I'd just like the chance to be your girlfriend."

She released his hand and moved away from him to give him space.

Yi Jeong stared at the young woman standing in front of him. Her cheeks were flushed with anger or embarrassment, he wasn't sure which, but she met his stare head on. He was about to open his mouth to tell her his three rules for dating women, when he realised he was just making excuses. If he was honest to himself, he could admit that he liked Ga Eul and that he had thought about making her his. Even if only fleetingly.

He was aware of his family's expectations and their desire to make the best match for the So family, but there was nothing keeping him from trying something new. As Ga Eul had said, he _didn't_ have to marry her. Dating her didn't mean marrying her.

However, even this thought did little to console him. Try as he might, he still balked at the idea of having a steady girlfriend. It was with this thought in mind, that he caught Ga Eul's hand in his.

"Ga Eul yang, I am not sure if I am ready to be your boyfriend," He had to tighten his grip on her hand when she began to pull back, "but how about we test it with a date. How about this Saturday?"

The smile that had been blossoming on Ga Eul's face fell. "Sunbae, I can't."

His stomach immediately knotted with anxiety. He hadn't wanted her to reject him.

Seeing his face tighten, Ga Eul was quick to add. "I have my school festival to attend so I won't be available until later that evening."

"You know what," Yi Jeong said confidently. "That doesn't matter. I will just have to make the evening count." He leaned down towards her, a smile tugging at his lips. "I'm sure I can come up with something that we'll_ both_ enjoy."

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**Preview for chapter 11**

Visit the link below and enjoy. Remove spaces to play video.

www. youtube watch?v=GvUPBavWB18&feature=related

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**Author's Note:** I hope you enjoyed this chapter, despite it's shortness, but it was my birthday this weekend and since I couldn't invite all my reviews and readers to my party, I hoped to share this as a gift to everyone. As always, your feedback is loved._  
_


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